Jana Jankins was the mother of Jillian Tatterson, mother-in-law to Tony Tatterton, grandmother to Leigh VanVoreen, Great-grandmother to Heaven Casteel and Great-great-grandmother to Annie Stonewell. Jana was shown to be hostile towards Jillian but very close to Leigh. One day she asks her daughter if Leigh knows that Cleave VanVoreen (Jillian's first husband) is not her biological father, completely unaware that Leigh was listening. She treated Jillian badly when she was a girl but spoiling her other daughters.