Janice Marie Lemery's Obituary
Janice Marie Lemery, age 81, surrounded by her family, passed away on Thursday, June 19, 2014, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.Janice Marie was born on December 18, 1932, in Springfield, Missouri. Born to Yula and Carl Chavose; she was the 4th of 5 children. Early in her youth, Janice and her family moved to Southern California in search of employment after World War II. When Janice was a senior in high school, one evening after church service, Larry Lemery, a young man she had met visiting the church with his sister, offered her a ride home. On March 25th, 1950, after several months of courtship, Janice married her lifelong sweetheart and best friend, Larry Lemery. This year would have been their 64th wedding anniversary.The couple raised their 5 children – Gale, David, Cindy, Michael and Valarie – in Southern California, until 1976. With just the youngest left in high school, Janice and Larry purchased a small farm in Golden City, Missouri, and the entire family set off to live in the country. After just a little over a year into their adventure, Larry took a position in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the rest of the family quickly followed and the majority still resides around today.It can be said that no matter where Janice lived, as long as her family was nearby, she was happy. Her truest passion in life was her family. She loved her family with all of her heart and there was nothing she would not do for any of them. When her kids had kids of their own, she and Larry were tender, compassionate grandparents – generous with both their time and support. This was best displayed through her fervent love of Christmas. All throughout the year, she would be searching for gifts to give every member of her family. She would literally buy hundreds of presents for her grandchildren alone. There wasn’t a time of year she wouldn’t be shopping for Christmas gifts. She absolutely loved seeing the faces of each person as they arrived on Christmas Day to see the room stacked, floor to ceiling, with presents around the Christmas tree.Janice was also very committed to seeing that her children had every opportunity in life, especially the ones she never had growing up. Even in the early years when money was tight, whether it was music lessons, sports, church camp or even summer vacations, Janice and Larry supported their children in whatever activities they were interested in.And, if there was one hobby/passion/obsession that Janice truly loved, it was cooking for her family. Whether it was making chocolate peanut butter fudge, rolling out pastry crust for a lemon meringue pie or strawberry shortcake, or making her famous hamburgers, she cherished feeding her loved ones.As a professional, Janice had an interest in the medical field. She worked for several years as a nurse’s aide prior to returning to school to take courses to become a Registered Nurse (RN). Janice always put her heart into whatever she did, so it didn’t surprise anyone that Janice was a straight-A student and was listed in the “Who’s Who in Junior College” at the age of 53.Aside from being a devoted and beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Janice’s faith in Christ was of paramount importance to her. Janice and Larry loved teaching and working with children. Through Vacation Bible School and Children’s Sunday School, they committed a large portion of their lives to teaching and ministering to children. From Reseda Baptist Church in Reseda, California, to Gracemont Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, countless children benefited from Janice and Larry’s dedication to teaching the Bible.Janice was preceded in death by her husband, Larry; mother, Yula; father, Carl; brothers, Bert and Bob; sisters, Kate and Yvonne; daughter, Cindy Irene; and grandson, Jonathan David Michael. She is survived by her four children: daughter, Gale and her husband, Kirk; son, David and his wife, Janna; son, Michael and his wife, Michelle; and daughter, Valarie. She is survived by 16 grandchildren: Erin, Andrew, Lauren, Larry, Michael, Brenda, Kevin, Amy, Rebecca, Ryan, Justin, Hannah, Bethany, Joshua, Sean, and Kaitlin; Janice’s 27 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life Graveside was held Tuesday, June 24, 2014, at 12:00 pm at the Veteran’s Field of Honor Phase II Pad, Floral Haven Memorial Gardens in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
What’s your fondest memory of Janice?
What’s a lesson you learned from Janice?
Share a story where Janice's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Janice you’ll never forget.
How did Janice make you smile?