Janice Deane Booe Knight, age 79 of Joplin, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, November 5, 2016 following a short illness.
It was a happy and joyous day on August 19, 1937 when Janice Deane Booe was born at Galena, Kansas to the late Rev. Dowe Booe and Ruby Pigg Booe. At a very early age, Janice began playing the piano and organ in church and was a prodigy with playing gospel music from the age of 6. At the early age of 14, Janice played on a weekly syndicated gospel music radio show along with her father, the Rev. Dowe Booe beginning in 1951.
On June 12, 1955, Janice married her true love and lifetime companion, the Reverend Harold H. Knight. Reverend Knight and his identical twin brother, Harlyn, attended Nazarene College majoring in music and were very accomplished singers and musicians. With the marriage, their families organized the "Musical Knights" gospel vocal group. The families performed at many events across the United States with many of the gospel greats including the Vestal and Rusty Goodman family, Oak Ridge Boys, Blackwood Brothers, Doris Akers, Mahalia Jackson in not only live concerts but also on television and radio specials. The "Musical Knights" performed a weekly radio show for eight years with KGGF radio, Coffeyville, Kansas and won many acclaimed talent shows, including the Professional Division at the Oklahoma States Fair, Tulsa, Ok for four consecutive years, a record that still stands. The Musical Knights were active on television and recording artistry, recording seven albums of which Janice was a primary accompanist on the piano and organ, as well as vocals. The Knights pastored in churches in Webb City, Mo; Sedalia, Mo; Coffeyville, Ks; Chanute, Ks, and Wichita, Kansas along with their music ministry. Janice Knight has been long considered one of the greatest gospel pianist and organist of all time by many of the great artists who've worked with her.
Mrs. Knight worked in the emergency department at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, Ks. for several years. Much of Mrs. Knight's career was dedicated to helping others in the healthcare field in supervisory and clerical duties. Mrs. Knight was loved by all who worked with her throughout the years in the hospital and eventually did retire to Joplin, Mo. Janice is preceeded in death by her husband, Rev. Harold H. Knight in 2007 after 52 years of marriage, parents Rev. Dowe Booe and Ruby Pigg Booe, two daughters, Candace Knight-Hawkins and Sandra Lee Knight, granddaughter Shavanne Renee Hawkins, brothers Bob Booe, Wayne Booe, Rev. Neil Booe.
Mrs. Knight is survived by two sons, Harold H. Knight III ("Rusty") and wife Ashley of Riverton, Ks; Rick R. Knight and Jeffrey Rydbom of Washington, D.C.; six grandchildren, Josh Hopkins and wife Amanda and family, Wichita, Ks. Ryan Knight and family, Wichita, Ks.; Kyle and Lindsey Hamilton and family of Miami, Ok., and Erica Hawkins of Parsons, Ks.;Maddox and Ava Harman of Riverton, Ks. Also surviving are seven great-grandchildren; brother and sister in law Harlyn and Norma Knight, Wichita, Ks; nieces Diana Booe Drake, Patricia Hempsmyer of Joplin, and Layna Knight Trimmell of Wichita, nephews Mike Booe, Joe Trimmell who all were very close to Janice throughout her life, along with great -nieces and great- nephews. Also surviving is brother, Kenneth Booe of Tyler, Tx. Throughout the years while pastoring in churches and ministering, the Knight family developed many close and wonderful friendships, too many to mention. The Knight family wishes to acknowledge and thank so many friends who have reached out since the passing of Mrs. Knight.
Funeral service will be Thursday, November 10, 2016 at 11;00 a.m. in Parker Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Roger Daniels officiating. Interment will be Friday, November 11, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. in Larned Cemetery, Larned, Kansas. The family will receive friends at Parker Mortuary on Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
The family request any donations be made in honor of Janice Knight to the Music Department of Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas.
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