Elizabeth Jane Nelson Scarff of New Carlisle was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on June 14th, 1928, to Paul and Allene Nelson.

She attended Western College for Women, Oxford, Ohio, and graduated with a degree in education from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

She taught elementary school at Pompano City Schools, Florida, and Harman Elementary School, Oakwood City Schools, Ohio. In 1955, Jane won $50 on the television game show "What's My Line" when the panel could not guess that she was a hog buyer, working with her father on his farm near Brookville. Later, she became Vice President of Scarff's Nursery and Landscaping, New Carlisle, Ohio.  Jane was a member of the First United Methodist Church; Westminster Presbyterian Church; American Association of Nurserymen; Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association; American Horticultural Association, Four Season's Garden Club; International Garden Center Association; Junior League of Dayton; Flying Angels of New Carlisle; the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; Springfield Country Club; Grandfather Golf and Country Club, Linville, NC; Silver Thatch Tennis Club, Pompano Beach, FL; and Virginia Hollinger Memorial Tennis Club, Dayton. Jane had a lengthy career in community service. She was elected to the New Carlisle Bethel Local School Board of Education for two terms and served as president. She also served as president of the following organizations: Springfield Foundation; Clark State College Board of Trustees; the Wegerzyn Garden Center Board of Trustees; United Way of Clark and Champaign Counties, which inducted her into their Hall of Fame in 1994; and Virginia Hollinger Memorial Tennis Club, of which she was the first woman president. She served on the Security National Bank Board of Directors; Springfield Community Hospital Board of Trustees, Board of Directors Horticulture Research Institute of the American Association of Nurserymen, the Ohio Nurseryman’s Association Board of Directors, the Green Downtown Dayton Committee, and as co-chair of the Clark State Performing Arts Center Executive Campaign Committee. She received a Meritorious Award from the Michigan Association of Nurserymen, and served as First Lady of the American Association of Nurserymen in 1989.

Jane married William Neff Scarff in January of 1955. Their family includes three children, William Neff Jr. (Maureen) of Laguna Niguel, CA,, Peter Nelson (Cindy) of New Carlisle, and Carrie Allene (Aimee) of Dayton, five grandchildren, Peter Nelson, Jr., Henry Howard, Anna Elizabeth, Jonathan Ryan, and Connor James, two step-grandchildren, Chase Palmer Aplin and Allison Riley Aplin, and dear friend, Wava Miller.

Her parents, Paul and Allene Nelson, and her brothers, Paul and Larry Nelson, preceded her in death.

Services were on Saturday, December 17th, 2011, at the First United Methodist Church of New Carlisle.

The family would like to thank the compassionate staff of Hearth and Home on El Camino Drive, Springfield, for their years of devoted care, and Crossroads Hospice.

As an appropriate memorial to Jane, please consider a gift of love to one less fortunate than yourself.

The family was served by the TROSTEL, CHAPMAN, DUNBAR & FRALEY FUNERAL HOME, New Carlisle, Ohio. You may also read the full obituary at www.trostelchapman.com