(From Simpson Funeral Home)Janet Shoemaker Worthy, age 97, died Sunday at Wildwood Ranch in Joplin. She lived in Carthage, MO until age 16, and graduated from Alba High School in 1942.
Janet met her husband, Jack Eugene Worthy, at a carnival in Neck City when she was 16 and he was 18. They raced cars – he in a Ford and her in her dad’s Buick. Jack won. After the race, they drank their first beer together. They married two years later and stayed together for almost 75 years until Jack’s death in 2016.
Janet and Jack lived in Tabor Woods for 45 years, in a home that the whole family loved – a place where everyone gathered in the den, warmed by a crackling fire, talking, laughing, watching football and movies, or napping. Clocks chimed throughout the house, creating an ever-present soundtrack.
Known by her loved ones as Janet, Mom, Aunt Janet, and Granny Jan, Janet once stated that her life was better than she ever thought it would be. She expressed love for her daughters and grandchildren and gratitude for her health and her family. She recalled many good times throughout her life, including traveling, spending time with friends and family, Friday night card games, and simple autumn days in the duck blinds with Jack eating hot chili and telling stories.
Janet was an avid reader who commonly read the same books twice. She occasionally volunteered at the Webb City Public Library. She had an eye for art and design, was a talented seamstress, and accomplished pianist and organist. As an arts patron, Janet held season tickets to the Joplin Little Theater. Fenton Huff Interiors employed Janet as an interior designer for over ten years.She stayed in tune with the seasons throughout the years, tended flowers in her yard, and drank coffee in her swing under the trees. She looked forward to weekend visits from her grandchildren, Todd and Toby Van Fleet, Amy Hoover (Tharp), and later Kellen and Kendall Autry. In addition, she was extremely fond of her great-grandsons Garrett and Jake Tharp.
She wrote letters and journals for decades, chronicling her life and the world around her. She told vivid stories and was not shy about voicing her opinion. In addition, she was a fantastic cook and baker. Janet was preceded in death by her husband Jack, daughter Jo Anna Hoover, and granddaughter Holly Hoover. She is survived by daughters Jacqueline Van Fleet of Tulsa and Jennifer Worthy of Santa Rosa, California, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
The family would like to acknowledge Janet’s granddaughter, Amy Tharp of Monett, and her husband Mike, and nephew Ted Dove of Many, Louisiana, for the attentive and loving care they provided to her over the last five years. We also want to thank Bill Seward of Joplin, a loyal family friend and caregiver for many years.
Janet will be buried next to Jack and Jo Anna at Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City. The family will have a private celebration of Janet’s life at a later date. In place of flowers, donations can be made to the Joplin Little Theater or the Spiva Center for the Arts.
Cremation arrangements are under the personal care and direction of Simpson Funeral Home in Webb City.
Janet was an avid reader who commonly read the same books twice. She occasionally volunteered at the Webb City Public Library. She had an eye for art and design, was a talented seamstress, and accomplished pianist and organist. As an arts patron, Janet held season tickets to the Joplin Little Theater. Fenton Huff Interiors employed Janet as an interior designer for over ten years.She stayed in tune with the seasons throughout the years, tended flowers in her yard, and drank coffee in her swing under the trees. She looked forward to weekend visits from her grandchildren, Todd and Toby Van Fleet, Amy Hoover (Tharp), and later Kellen and Kendall Autry. In addition, she was extremely fond of her great-grandsons Garrett and Jake Tharp.
She wrote letters and journals for decades, chronicling her life and the world around her. She told vivid stories and was not shy about voicing her opinion. In addition, she was a fantastic cook and baker. Janet was preceded in death by her husband Jack, daughter Jo Anna Hoover, and granddaughter Holly Hoover. She is survived by daughters Jacqueline Van Fleet of Tulsa and Jennifer Worthy of Santa Rosa, California, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
The family would like to acknowledge Janet’s granddaughter, Amy Tharp of Monett, and her husband Mike, and nephew Ted Dove of Many, Louisiana, for the attentive and loving care they provided to her over the last five years. We also want to thank Bill Seward of Joplin, a loyal family friend and caregiver for many years.
Janet will be buried next to Jack and Jo Anna at Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City. The family will have a private celebration of Janet’s life at a later date. In place of flowers, donations can be made to the Joplin Little Theater or the Spiva Center for the Arts.
Cremation arrangements are under the personal care and direction of Simpson Funeral Home in Webb City.
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