Janice Branstetter, formerly known as Janice Jones, was a loving daughter, mother, grandmother, and even a great grandmother. She lived in Wooley Creek growing up with her father Clyde, mother Karrie, brother Dewey, and sister Joyce Ann. Janice’s love for horses started as a child. Her and her younger sister Joyce Ann would ride their stick horses around everywhere. They had bridles and everything to fix them up and would make a homemade arena where they would play rodeo. They also liked to dress up their pet cats, dogs, and even a pet pig named Porky.
Janice met Doyle when she was around 16 years old at the Wooley Creek Schoolhouse. Karrie wouldn’t let Janice go out with him alone, so she’d make Joyce Ann tag along to make sure they stayed out of trouble.
They eventually ran off to get married without their parents knowing. Janice had to lie about her age and they were married in a preacher’s house. They were happy and in love.
One time while they were on their way to the drive in, Janice was trying to put on her “bubble gum pink” lipstick. Every time she’d get it up to her lips to put on, Doyle would hit the breaks and it would go up the side of her cheek. She’d get it cleaned off, go for another try, and he’d do it again. Finally Janice told him he would not be getting any kisses from her if it happened one more time. Needless to say that was the last time he did it.
Doyle and Janice had three sons together; Jeffrey, Dean, and Tony. Tragedy struck their family while Janice was pregnant with Jeff, as her brother Dewey was in a terrible car accident that took his life. She eventually named Dean (Dewey Dean) after him.
Janice would recall stories of the boys when they were younger and how they’d give her a run for her money. If they could think it, they would do it. Like scaling up the tv antenna on the side of the house (that was actually taller than the house) like a bunch of wild animals.
There was a time where wearing wigs were in fashion and Janice always kept up with that. One day she was out fishing on the lake with all the boys, and one of their hooks got caught on her wig and it was thrown out in the middle of the lake. Of course the boys thought it was hilarious and she about died having no wig to wear back home.
Anyone who knew Janice, knew how beautiful of a person she truly was. Not just on the outside but just as much on the inside. When the boys were all in high school, she’d regularly get asked out by boys from the opposing team at their ball games. She’d always remark that they’d have to ask her three teenage sons. And she always got a kick out of telling us that story.
Janice also was the pitcher of a women’s softball league in her 20’s and enjoyed the sport. She played on a team called The Foxy Ladies and Doyle was their coach. She always recalled those being some of the funnest years of her life.
Janice also enjoyed hunting. One year while her and Doyle were hunting together, she killed a buck. They had to check it in at the local general store. Doyle had been there earlier that day checking in a doe. The game warden thought Doyle had killed both deer and was using Janice to tag the buck, but in reality Janice was actually the one who had shot them both.
After being out numbered all the years prior with Doyle and the boys, Janice finally became a grandmother to five granddaughters. Her title then switched to “Granny” and that’s what everyone knew her by. She loved that Doyle was then out numbered and the girls always ganged up on him and favored her.
She was the best Granny and always made sure everyone was taken care of and even spoiled a bit, ok maybe a lot. When the girls were young, she’d buy all of them a gift when it was someone’s birthday because she hated the other four of them not having anything to open. So all the girls technically had five birthdays a year. She also always gave out Easter and back to school money for everyone to pick out things to wear. Sasha recalls since she was the oldest, she was out of school before anyone else. Granny would still give her “back to school” clothes money because she’d tell her the other girls were still in school so she needed to make it fair. I’m pretty sure they were all getting back to school clothes money until Eden was out of college.
She also would have all the girls over for sleepovers on Fridays throughout the month. When she’d get off work, she’d drive her red Grand Am up to Marionville to pick up Sasha and Brooke, go to Walmart and get her groceries for the week, stop by Kentucky Fried Chicken to grab dinner, then pick up Elizabeth, Emily, and Eden on their way home. She lived for the days her house was full with them all in it. I think they also kept her company since Doyle worked nights for many of those years.
Janice was a manager at the Garment Factory in Forsyth for several years until she retired. She loved sewing and enjoyed her job.
She had a big heart for people and animals. Always taking in stray animals who seemed to have no mom. Over the years she had a baby pet deer, raccoon, bobcat, groundhogs, opossum and squirrels…just to name a few. Not to mention her pet cats, horses, and even cows (she named most of her cows and could never butcher them). Hooter was their most memorable cat, taking the cake at a whooping 30lbs, showing that she even spoiled her animals.
Her title Granny continued into being a great grandmother. She had seven great grandchildren and of course spoiled them all as well. All the kids knew Granny kept her freezer stocked with Klondike and other ice cream bars. Parents had to watch or she’d give them as many as they wanted. The word “no” wasn’t usually a word in her vocabulary when it came to grandkids.
Not to seem cliche, but Janice was a person who really could light up a room when she entered. She had a wonderful sense of humor, was adventurous, and such a generous and loving person. She was in her element in a pair of cowgirl boots, with her signature leather fringe jacket, riding her horses. That is the picture of her I think most of us will hold in our memory. After struggling these past few years, I think it gives us all peace picturing her riding wild horses on the beaches of heaven and reuniting with all her loved ones along the way.
A celebration of life will be held Tuesday, August 12, 2025 in Westrip Funeral Home Crane, Missouri at 7:00 p.m. Vitiation will be from 6:00 p.m. until service time at 7:00 p.m. Final disposition will be cremation under the care of Westrip Funeral Home.
Janice Branstetter, formerly known as Janice Jones, was a loving daughter, mother, grandmother, and even a great grandmother. She lived in Wooley Creek growing up with her father Clyde, mother Karrie, brother Dewey, and sister Joyce Ann. Janice’s love for horses started as a child. Her and her younger sister Joyce Ann would ride their stick horses around everywhere. They had bridles and everything to fix them up and would make a homemade arena where they would play rodeo. They also liked to dress up their pet cats, dogs, and even a pet pig named Porky.
Janice met Doyle when she was around 16 years old at the Wooley Creek Schoolhouse. Karrie wouldn’t let Janice go out with him alone, so she’d make Joyce Ann tag along to make sure they stayed out of trouble.
They eventually ran off to get married without their parents knowing. Janice had to lie about her age and they were married in a preacher’s house. They were happy and in love.
One time while they were on their way to the drive in, Janice was trying to put on her “bubble gum pink” lipstick. Every time she’d get it up to her lips to put on, Doyle would hit the breaks and it would go up the side of her cheek. She’d get it cleaned off, go for another try, and he’d do it again. Finally Janice told him he would not be getting any kisses from her if it happened one more time. Needless to say that was the last time he did it.
Doyle and Janice had three sons together; Jeffrey, Dean, and Tony. Tragedy struck their family while Janice was pregnant with Jeff, as her brother Dewey was in a terrible car accident that took his life. She eventually named Dean (Dewey Dean) after him.
Janice would recall stories of the boys when they were younger and how they’d give her a run for her money. If they could think it, they would do it. Like scaling up the tv antenna on the side of the house (that was actually taller than the house) like a bunch of wild animals.
There was a time where wearing wigs were in fashion and Janice always kept up with that. One day she was out fishing on the lake with all the boys, and one of their hooks got caught on her wig and it was thrown out in the middle of the lake. Of course the boys thought it was hilarious and she about died having no wig to wear back home.
Anyone who knew Janice, knew how beautiful of a person she truly was. Not just on the outside but just as much on the inside. When the boys were all in high school, she’d regularly get asked out by boys from the opposing team at their ball games. She’d always remark that they’d have to ask her three teenage sons. And she always got a kick out of telling us that story.
Janice also was the pitcher of a women’s softball league in her 20’s and enjoyed the sport. She played on a team called The Foxy Ladies and Doyle was their coach. She always recalled those being some of the funnest years of her life.
Janice also enjoyed hunting. One year while her and Doyle were hunting together, she killed a buck. They had to check it in at the local general store. Doyle had been there earlier that day checking in a doe. The game warden thought Doyle had killed both deer and was using Janice to tag the buck, but in reality Janice was actually the one who had shot them both.
After being out numbered all the years prior with Doyle and the boys, Janice finally became a grandmother to five granddaughters. Her title then switched to “Granny” and that’s what everyone knew her by. She loved that Doyle was then out numbered and the girls always ganged up on him and favored her.
She was the best Granny and always made sure everyone was taken care of and even spoiled a bit, ok maybe a lot. When the girls were young, she’d buy all of them a gift when it was someone’s birthday because she hated the other four of them not having anything to open. So all the girls technically had five birthdays a year. She also always gave out Easter and back to school money for everyone to pick out things to wear. Sasha recalls since she was the oldest, she was out of school before anyone else. Granny would still give her “back to school” clothes money because she’d tell her the other girls were still in school so she needed to make it fair. I’m pretty sure they were all getting back to school clothes money until Eden was out of college.
She also would have all the girls over for sleepovers on Fridays throughout the month. When she’d get off work, she’d drive her red Grand Am up to Marionville to pick up Sasha and Brooke, go to Walmart and get her groceries for the week, stop by Kentucky Fried Chicken to grab dinner, then pick up Elizabeth, Emily, and Eden on their way home. She lived for the days her house was full with them all in it. I think they also kept her company since Doyle worked nights for many of those years.
Janice was a manager at the Garment Factory in Forsyth for several years until she retired. She loved sewing and enjoyed her job.
She had a big heart for people and animals. Always taking in stray animals who seemed to have no mom. Over the years she had a baby pet deer, raccoon, bobcat, groundhogs, opossum and squirrels…just to name a few. Not to mention her pet cats, horses, and even cows (she named most of her cows and could never butcher them). Hooter was their most memorable cat, taking the cake at a whooping 30lbs, showing that she even spoiled her animals.
Her title Granny continued into being a great grandmother. She had seven great grandchildren and of course spoiled them all as well. All the kids knew Granny kept her freezer stocked with Klondike and other ice cream bars. Parents had to watch or she’d give them as many as they wanted. The word “no” wasn’t usually a word in her vocabulary when it came to grandkids.
Not to seem cliche, but Janice was a person who really could light up a room when she entered. She had a wonderful sense of humor, was adventurous, and such a generous and loving person. She was in her element in a pair of cowgirl boots, with her signature leather fringe jacket, riding her horses. That is the picture of her I think most of us will hold in our memory. After struggling these past few years, I think it gives us all peace picturing her riding wild horses on the beaches of heaven and reuniting with all her loved ones along the way.
A celebration of life will be held Tuesday, August 12, 2025 in Westrip Funeral Home Crane, Missouri at 7:00 p.m. Vitiation will be from 6:00 p.m. until service time at 7:00 p.m. Final disposition will be cremation under the care of Westrip Funeral Home.
