This afternoon was the celebration of our dear friend and neighbor Janet’s life. We all gathered at the Monitor Barn to remember  Janet’s 83 long, sweet years on this earth. ..

 

There were about hundred and fifty folks gathered to share memories of Janet.. and there were so many things to share.. She was such a lovely and sweet person..  We all mingeld for about 2 hours.. then janets grandson Devin gave soem realy nice memories of Janet.. Then Pat had asked me to say a few words about janet … so i have been thinking about her life.. .. Everyone I spoke with these last couple of weeks talked about how Janet ‘was love’…at least 4 people chose to describe her that way.. I remember how confused I was when I moved in about who was a relative of hers.. and who was a friend.. there were so many folks coming and going from Pat and Janet’s house . I told folks how in time we got confused ourselves. like all the kids in the neigborhood, . Our three boys were over there often watching cartoons, drinking orange soda and making blanket forts..
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Janet grew up in the northest kingdom.. then went to Johnson State Teachers college. She ended up coming to Jonesville in 1952 to teach in our house.. She had to make the fire, clean the outhouse and teach the 30 or so kids that would be going to school here. One of her jobs was to make lunch for the kids…. so she had to walk tot eh store every day to buy them soup…. and that’s where she met Pat…. like most of us met him.. over the meat counter.. They got married in 1953  and lived over the store.. .Janet moved over to work at the store.. … As sh did for the rest of her life, She’d always wake up at 4 to make Pat lunch.. then go to work and they worked side by side from 1953-1985. They had 6 great kids.. Patty,Cathy, Michael, Carmel, Linda and Barb .. they went on to give pat and janet 18 grandkids and step grandkids .. and 6 great grandchildren and step great grandchildren.. many of them were there today…

 

 

it was a beautiful day.

 

Max came up for the celebration.. which meant so much to all of us..   Here we are with Pat..

 

This is Ralph Perkins and his daughters. Janet lived with them whil she went to highschool. Ralphiis96 and still rides a 4 wheeler.

 

The barn was full of many of pat and Janet’s (and our)  friends.. lesse.. here are spike and linda, the gilroys and diane kellerman

 

Rose and abbot… Abbot inspired em to learn to weld..

 

Rick.. my friend from Hungary

Mary and art

 

Janet collected salt and pepper shakers.. and there was a differnt set of hers on every table.. It was fun looking at all of them ! 

 

The celebration lasted 4 hours !… Clean up was a snap with so many helpers.  

 

The skies had cleared as we all moved over to Barbs house for more stories… .. Here’s Jim on his way.

  Heres a view from the monitor barn over to Robins mountain. You can just see the tower of our house near the mountain. Its kind of cool seeing where you live from such a different vantage point than where you normally see it.

 

Today felt good.. it was great seeing so may people gathered to celebrate the life of such a good person.. I think everyone went away feeling good and  blessed to have known her.

We’ll miss you Janet !…  Thanks fr all you did for us and the community ..

nite all, nite sam

-me