Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HERRIMAN — Saturday, a man important to the development of Herriman City passed away.
Herriman's first mayor James Lynn Crane, 80, died after a long battle with interstitial lung disease. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne, and his seven children.
Crane "worked tirelessly to see Herriman incorporated, and served as the first mayor" of the city from 1999 to 2010, according to his obituary. Throughout his life, he was defined by his love of family, God and country.
Born to Nathaniel and Mildred Butterfield Crane on Aug. 1, 1938, he was the fourth of five children, according to his obituary, and was raised in the Herriman area and Southeastern Idaho.
Crane was educated in the Jordan School District until his family relocated to Challis, Idaho, during his sophomore year, where he graduated from Challis High School. His father oversaw a sheep outfit, and the family moved almost every summer so that could continue his work and stay with his family, according to his obituary.
During this time he developed "a lifelong affection for animal life, particularly of horses and sheep," his obituary said.
After high school, Crane served in the Army from 1956 to 1959, in Texas, California and Thule, Greenland, according to his obituary. He received an honorable release on May 29, 1959.
"His love for country, in part, was inspired from the opportunity to serve in the Army," according to the obituary.
Crane also served his church, spending time as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years in the West Central States mission, according to his obituary. After his mission, he attended Brigham Young University, where he received a degree in education and sociology in 1967.
“His enrollment and experience at BYU was the basis for a life-long commitment and love for the ‘Y’,” his obituary says.
After graduating, Crane taught school for four years, and then spent his career pursuing the development of audio-visual materials for the classroom, according to his obituary.
He returned to Herriman to raise his family, and became civically involved, his obitutuary said. He joined the local Lions Club, participated on school district committees and helped establish the Herriman Community Association.
In addition to being the first mayor of Herriman, he served as a trustee for service districts such as Jordan Valley Water, South Valley Sewer, and Jordan School District.
A new park in the Herriman Towne Center was named the J. Lynn Crane Park in his honor, and as a token of appreciation for his service.
Crane was devoted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served faithfully in many callings. According to his obituary, he served many times as a teacher and leader, in the Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain temples for 14 years, and as patriarch in the Fort Herriman Utah Stake, a regional group of congregations, for the past twelve years.
Crane married Suzanne Dot Miller in the Salt Lake Temple on June 5, 1964, according to the obituary. Together they had seven children, and became grandparents of 17 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Crane loved to spend time in the Uintah Mountains with his family where the family camped, fished, hiked, played volleyball and cooked Dutch-oven meals.
A viewing will be held Friday from 6-8 pm at a chapel located at 5658 W. Yukon Park Lane (12200 South), adjacent to Copper Mountain Middle School. Another viewing will be held at the same location Saturday from 9:30-11:30 am, with a funeral service to follow at noon.
Read Crane’s full obituary here.
