Janice Reeder was born in WaKeeney, Kansas, in November 1933, to Monte and Inez Poague, who would later become the most cherished and loving grandparents ever.
The youngest of four, Jan delighted in pranking and teasing her older siblings who, no doubt, paved the way in the high-jinks department. That sense of humor and fun-loving spirit stayed with her to the end. She passed away in her sleep, August 28, 2022, in WaKeeney.
Jan always had a song in her heart and would bust out an A capella rendition to even elevator muzak, often to the chagrin of her teenage children. If you ever heard someone singing in the produce aisle at IGA, there was a good chance it was Jan. I’m pretty sure Mom had us all singing before we learned to talk.
She and her husband of more than 65 years, Daryl C. Reeder, provided a loving home filled with music and laughter. All of us kids learned an instrument, all of us sang. There wasn’t a family get together without music. And we can all still hear her shout a correction from the kitchen for a sour note hit during piano practice in the living room.
Together, Jan and Daryl raised five kids on a shoestring budget — one daughter, four sons (Mom affectionately called them “The Brothers”), and instilled in them a deep love of family, music, books, good food, and games. Family get togethers always included music, food, and DingBat, a family card game. Jan was a cut-throat card player, and despite her sweet, little, old lady appearance would take your ace-high-trump, trick and gleefully cackle about it.
Mom was a great cook, although you would never hear that from her. And ‘The Brothers’ still salivate over her sheet-pan chocolate cake, and I would give anything for some of her fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy. There was always room for one more at the dinner table with Mom.
Jan attended Emporia State Teachers College before marrying Daryl in April 1953. Like her mother before her, Jan worked as a librarian at the WaKeeney City Library, and it became a defacto second home to all of us. She was a life-long member of The First Presbyterian Church of WaKeeney and sang in the choir, a member of Harmony Club, Bridge Club, Literary Club, and later also worked at Trego Lemke Memorial Hospital.
She will be greatly missed by her children, Mona, Michael, James, and Curtis, and several grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Daryl, her son John Reeder, grandson Sean Reeder, and granddaughter Hannah Reeder.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm, Friday, September 2, 2022, at the Kansas Veteran’s Cemetery of WaKeeney. Arrangements pending Schmitt Funeral Home of WaKeeney, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the WaKeeney City Library. Mom was a voracious reader and always had her nose in a book.