Janet Lillian Stevens, 86, passed away on December 7, 2024, in Mountain View, Missouri. She was surrounded by family, listening to one of her favorite hymns, as she peacefully passed.
Janet was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on November 22, 1938, to Harold and Emilie Gordon. Janet was the second of three daughters raised in Bayonne, New Jersey, by a hardworking, single mother who taught her to be the strong, independent, God-loving woman we all knew.
Janet married her first husband in 1955, and the couple welcomed a child, a son named James, later that same year. A few years later, Janet moved to Long Beach, California, with her mother, sisters, and son, where she met her second husband. They welcomed a child, a daughter named Gayle, in 1963. Janet raised her two children as a hardworking, single mother.
Janet was very close with her sisters. They leaned on each other and lifted each other through life. It didn’t matter where or when, they were always there for each other. Janet had many lifelong friends. She filled her time celebrating all the milestones in life with them. Where you saw one, you typically saw them all.
After Janet had raised her children, she filled her time gardening, playing bingo, taking trips, and scratching countless scratcher tickets. She moved to Willow Springs, Missouri, to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. While she traveled and moved several times in her life, she never lost her strong Jersey accent which she was most notably recognized for.
Janet found a church home at St. Paul Lutheran Church, in Willow Springs, Missouri, where she continued her relationship with Christ. She could be heard talking with and praying to Him daily. He was always where she turned when she needed to settle her worry or ask for strength.
Janet is survived by her daughter, Gayle Mayberry, and her husband Ray, of Willow Springs, Missouri; granddaughter, Kristi Scrimshire, and her children, Kolton and Evan, of Mountain View, Missouri; granddaughter, Kimberly Tucker, and her children Dakota, Kaiden, and Kye, of Willow Springs, Missouri; granddaughter, Courtney Kirkland, her husband, Rickey, and their children, Bryson and Melody, of Jasper, Missouri; grandson, Robert Scrimshire, his wife, Beth, and their children, Autum, Layla, Jaron, and Dagen, of Chicago, Illinois; granddaughter, Tyler Langford, her husband, Kobie, and their children, Paige, Kohen, Reagan, and Kennedy, of Joplin, Missouri; great-granddaughter, Kailey Iott, her husband, Bailey, and their soon-to-be daughter, of Willow Springs, Missouri; and sister Mary Dewys.
Janet was preceded in death by her mother, Emilie Gordon; son, James Yeager; sister, Jeanie Stocking; brother-in-law, James Stocking; sister, Joanne Crutcher; brother-in-law, James Crutcher; sister, Patricia Jobe; nephew, Gary Crutcher; nephew, James Stocking Jr.; grandson, Larry Tucker; and father, Harold Gordon.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, December 12, 2024, at Yarber Mortuary, Willow Springs, Missouri, with Pastor Scott Chamberlin officiating under the direction of Yarber Mortuary, Willow Springs, Missouri. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 10-11:00 a.m. also at the funeral home. Condolences may be expressed at www.yarbermortuary.com.
