About
Jan Cleere is an award-winning author of seven historical nonfiction books. Her latest manuscript, 100 Western Women: The Bold, Brave, Gutsy Women of Arizona's Past, is a compilation of monthly articles that Jan writes for the Arizona Daily Star newspaper. Her other books include include Military Wives in Arizona Territory: A History of Women Who Shaped the Frontier; "Never Don't Pay Attention:" The Life of Rodeo Photographer Louise L. Serpa; Levi's & Lace: Arizona Women Who Made History; Amazing Girls of Arizona: True Stories of Young Pioneers; Outlaw Tales of Arizona; and Nevada' Remarkable Women. The Arizona Newspapers Association honored Jan for a series of historical profiles she wrote for Phoenix Woman Magazine, and the Nevada Women’s History Project named her to its Roll of Honor for her significant contribution in the preservation of Nevada women’s history. Jan continues to write her monthly newspaper column, “Western Women.” She lives in Oro Valley, Arizona.
Featured Work
100 Western Women: The Bold, Brave, Gutsy Women of Arizona's Past
History books record scant contributions women made in settling and developing the new territory of Arizona. Yet women were an integral part of civilizing the rough, rowdy, often-dangerous land. For more than ten years, Jan Cleere has written about the women who influenced the growth and development of Arizona in her column "Western Women" that appears monthly in the Arizona Daily Star newspaper. The famous, infamous and those not so well known are featured, each with a compelling story of surviving and thriving under less-than-ideal circumstances. Discover just a handful of these women who made a difference as the territory emerged and flourished into an amazing and diverse state unlike any other in the nation.
Other Works
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100 Western Women: The Bold, Brave, Gutsy Women of Arizona's Past
2025
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Military Wives in Arizona Territory: A History of Women Who Shaped the Frontier
2021
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Nevada's Remarkable Women, 2nd Edition
2015
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"Never Don't Pay Attention:" The Life of Rodeo Photographer Louise L. Serpa
2015
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Outlaw Tales of Arizona, 2nd Edition
2012
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Levi's & Lace: Arizona Women Who Made History
2011
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Amazing Girls of Arizona: True Stories of Young Pioneers
2008
Awards and Recognition
- Recipient of the Friends of Arizona Archives (FAzA) award, presented at the 2010 Arizona History Convention
- 2010 Winner of the National Federation of Press Women's Communication Contest for historical articles.
- 2010 Outstanding Writing for historical profile articles by Arizona Newspaper Association
- Levi's & Lace: Arizona Women Who Made History • 2012 FINALIST for the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards
- Amazing Girls of Arizona: True Stories of Young Pioneers: Selected as one of best books of 2009 by Arizona Book Publishing Association, 2009 WINNER for young adult nonfiction awarded by Arizona Book Publishing Association
- Outlaw Tales of Arizona: 2007 WINNER National Federation of Press Women's Communications Contest in historical nonfiction
- More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Nevada Women: 2006 WILLA Literary Award Finalist, 2006 Roll of Honor of the Nevada Women's History Project
