It was early in my tenure as a 49ers beat reporter when I met her. There was a lady with red hair -- 49ers red, no less -- in the lobby of the teams offices with a floral arrangement in her hands.
The previous day 49ers fullback William Floyd had sustained a serious knee injury. And Janette Boehm was at the teams practice facility early to deliver flowers and get-well wishes.
I got to know Niner Jan or Niner Mom through her regular visits to the 49ers team offices to drop off care packages, including cookies and other goodies, to the team members and staff. Several years ago, she began sending me her Christmas letter, which read like a State of the 49ers address. We also carried on a regular dialogue via email.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
She took being a fan to a whole different level of commitment, devotion, loyalty and unconditional support. As she stated in a profile that appeared two years ago on a national sports Web site, A true fan stands by his or her team whether its winning or losing games.
The 49ers organization -- and everyone directly or indirectly associated with the team -- is feeling a major loss with the recent passing of Niner Jan. She was 76.
"Jan was arguably our most visible and outwardly supportive fan, but that is not why we are memorializing her," 49ers owner John York said. "She helped each of us appreciate -- every single day -- what it meant to be a member of the 49ers. Underneath the red and gold attire was a woman who went out of her way to make everyone in our organization feel like a member of her family. She didn't just root for us on the field -- through winning seasons and less successful ones -- but she also rooted for us as individuals in our personal lives."
Said offensive tackle Joe Staley, "She would write us nice cards every year, and they were all personal. There was never a generic card. Everything was personalized. She really cared about the team, and its really sad that she's not going to be with us anymore, but shell always be with us in spirit."
San Francisco 49ers
Services for Janette Boehm will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Martins Catholic Church, 593 Central Ave., and Old San Francisco Road, in Sunnyvale. Following the services, there will be a get-together at Harry's Hofbrau, 390 Saratoga Ave., in San Jose.