Janna Atwell

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Janna Atwell, 42, on Sept. 8, 2013, after a long illness. Her mom, Matt, the Morup family, Marcus and many close friends were at her bedside during her last hours. She touched many lives as a daughter, sister, friend and educator. Janna was the most caring, loving and sharing person you could ever meet. If you were her friend, you were family. She was funny, quirky, tough, a candy connoisseur, food critic and could only fall asleep with the television on. We will all miss her dry humor, her laugh and her frequent calls. She was born on Sept. 7, 1971, to Jan and Jay Atwell in Billings. Janna and her two older brothers attended Senior High School. She later obtained her Associate's Degree from Montana State University, Billings, after a detour as a waitress, culinary student and restaurant assistant manager. At the time of her passing, she was a paraprofessional in a special education classroom at Lewis and Clark Middle School. Janna found great joy in her work. Her brother Trevor left an indelible impression on her and allowed her to love and influence her students while understanding their needs. She had taught her new class for a week and was excited about her class and the coming year. Janna loved shopping, cooking, dinners with her dad and traveling with her mom. Her last trip was to Minnesota with her mom to celebrate her grandmother's life. All of her aunts, uncles and cousins were there for the celebration. They stayed at her Aunt Carol and Uncle Richard's home for two weeks, and she was in her glory as she was able to shop every day. She is survived by her mother, Jan Atwell (and Matt Goss) of Red Lodge; her father, Jay Atwell (Katie Link) of Billings; her brother, Shane Atwell (Veronique Baron, and daughter Morgane) of San Diego; adopted sister, Stephanie Morup (Paul Morup); and many aunts, uncles and cousins. In addition to her niece, there were three other special children in her life: Yazzy, Darius and Iyana. She is also survived by her three beloved rescue cats: Orville, Douglas, and Gertie. She was preceded in death by her brother, Trevor Atwell, three years ago. Janna and her family extend a special, heartfelt “thank you” to the exceptional people of Dialysis Centers Inc., Billings Clinic, and Lewis and Clark Middle School for standing by Janna all of these years and helping the family through this heartbreaking time. Service: A celebration of Janna's life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 2 p.m., at Pioneer Park in Billings. The family appreciates the time friends and relatives are taking to attend and remember Janna.