Mary Jane (“Janie”) Lowery, age 72 of Carthage, MO, went to be with her heavenly Father on Sunday afternoon, March 20, 2016 at Mercy Hospital in Joplin. MO, surrounded by her family.
Janie was born January 22. 1944 in Denver, Colorado, the only daughter of Thomas and Marguerite (Morris) Sutton. In 1949 she took the last name of her stepfather Thomas Wilhite, who loved and raised her as his own daughter.
When she was a small child, she moved with her parents to a farm near Fair Grove, MO where she attended school and the Sunnyvale Assembly of God Church. She was baptized at the James River in Springfield, MO when she was a teenager, and remained steadfast in her faith for the rest of her life.
On September 16, 1960 she was married to Gary Alexander in Spokane, MO. This union was blessed with the birth of one son, Tom (“Tommy”) Alexander in 1962. Her mother-in-law Betty (Farrar) Alexander was the one who gave her the nickname “Janie” which all her loved ones have known her by ever since.
On September 1, 1967 she was married to Jimmie Lowery in Springfield, MO. This union was blessed with the birth of two children. In 1968 their daughter Tina Lowery was born, and exactly 9 months later their son Terry Lowery was born in 1969.
Janie was a devoted daughter, mother, and grandmother. In addition to raising three children on her own, she also helped to care for her parents, she raised her two granddaughters Haleigh and Jessica, plus she was a mother to her adopted son Rick after his own parents died. Her greatest joy during the past several years of her life was getting to spend time with her only great grandson Bentley.
After the death of her father Tom Wilhite, she moved with her family to Aurora, MO in 1997. When her mother Marguerite Wilhite died in 2010, she moved to Carthage, MO to be near her sons Tommy and Rick.
Janie loved to visit with her family and friends, and to also send cards and letters to all her loved ones. She spent a lot of her time writing because she also kept a record of important events in her life in her diaries, and she put many of her thoughts and feelings down on paper in the poetry that she wrote. Relaxing during her spare time was spent listening to country and gospel music, watching classic old movies (especially westerns), and reading movie star biographies. She was a huge fan of “The Waltons” and “Little House on the Prairie” because the shows reminded her of how she wanted to raise her own family. Janie was a wonderful cook, and she was famous for her potato salad and deviled eggs.
More than anything, Janie loved God and her family. She spent many hours reading her bible which was always in a prominent spot on her coffee table. Every chance she had, she would witness to people about her love for Jesus Christ. Her favorite bible verse was John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Janie is survived by her two sons, Tom (“Tommy”) Alexander of Carthage, MO, and Terry Lowery of Bowling Green, MO; her two granddaughters, Haleigh Lowery of Bolivar, MO, and Jessica Young of Aurora, MO; her great grandson, Bentley Cooper Young of Aurora, MO; her adopted son Rick Harms of Carthage, MO; several cousins; and many friends, including Dawn Giroux who was like a sister to her.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter Tina (Lowery) Roberts in 2014, and her daughter-in-law Ellen (Todd) Lowery in 2010.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday March 24, 2016 at the Ulmer Funeral Home in Carthage, MO with Rev. Timothy H. Buelow officiating. Music will be provided by Sara Buelow, pianist; Katrina Buelow, soloist; and the congregation singing a few of Janie’s favorite hymns. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services at 10:00 a.m. at the funeral home. The family would like to invite everyone to join them for a reception and luncheon in the fellowship hall of Faith Lutheran Church, 2134 Grand Avenue in Carthage immediately following the funeral services. Janie will be laid to rest next to her parents at the Greenlawn Cemetery in Springfield, MO, with a private graveside memorial service at a later time. Online condolences can be made at www.ulmerfh.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Ulmer Funeral Home.
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