Janet Kaye Sims

Memories of Janet

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	Jennifer Palmgren remembers... "My aunt brought so many traditions to our family. One of our favorites is our Christmas stockings. She knitted everyone in our entire family matching socks. I'm not sure how many she completed over the years but it was probably close to 30! When I married my husband she began his stocking. Apparently the yarn companies changed their yarn and when she finished his stocking it turned out twice as long as all the others! We laughed. He asked if that meant he would get twice as many gifts!! The next Christmas a new package appeared for him - she had started over and made him a new one. My daughter recieved the last stocking that she was able to fully complete this past Christmas. She started it after her hands began to fail and although there are some stitches that are not as perfect as she once did, it is the most special stocking of all of them. Each one is a treasured gift. I'm sure we will all smile and remember her as we get them out each holiday season."
	Sandi Keeler remembers... "I met Janet when we moved in next door to her. Shera was a baby and I was pregnant with Megan. She came to the door to 'welcome me to the neighborhood' and our friendship grew from there. It was cemented when she saved me from the 'killer slug' in my kitchen! Janet introduced our family to Village Church. We spent many happy hours there teaching knitting classes, bible school, and ladies circle to mention a few. In later years, I introduced her to Unity Church of Overland Park. We never missed a Sunday when she was in KC. Shera, Megan and Chad played together like siblings - sometimes at my house while Janet went to get her hair done and sometimes at Janet's home while I ran errands. A group of couples who lived in my 2nd neighborhood spent many hours together with our children playing contentedly while we played volleyball in the empty lot and prepared picnic dinners in the back yard. Janet, RZ and Shera were there with us. We had a mutual love of children, hand work and learning. Many hours were spent together solving the world problems as well as our own personal challenges. We challenged one another to grow and learn. I miss that most of all. Janet helped me sew the bridesmaid dresses for Megan's wedding and helped with my dress for both Megan's and Chad's weddings. She even took the top home and hand stitched it for me. There are pages of memories over the 35 years of our friendship. Janet always thought I was the greatest friend, but the truth is she is the greatest friend. I am so honored that she let me be a part of her life. She is an 'Ordinary Miracle'."
	Jona Neufeld remembers... "I remember spending a week with Aunt Janet and Shera when I was in grade school. It was quite a week; we were so busy with shopping and creating. But you know Janet; she has to get some sort of educational endeavor into the week so we headed off to a day of bird watching! We hiked around in pastures and in the trees for hours. We had such a great time until we got back to the car and realized how many ticks we had crawling all over us. Shera and I were horrified but Janet sat there and picked every single one off of us like it was no big deal but then she rushed us home and stuck us in the tub and scrubbed us to death! When I was a teenager my dad, Janet's brother, would often become frustrated with me because I didn't always see things the way he did. In these moments he would tell me that I was "just like Janet" (brotherly love). Now that I am older I see what an outgoing and caring lady she was-- I am so proud to know that a part of her will be with me forever!"
	Cynthia Selvy Nicholson remembers... "I have many memories of my cousin Janet. When Janet, R. Z. and Shera were living in a duplex in Overland Park, Aunt Grace and I went to see her. Janet was busy with several activities that day. She was in the process of freezing corn. She told us that she had shucked it and had just finished blanching it in the dishwasher. She told Aunt Grace and me that the dishwasher did just as good a job of blanching it as a pot of boiling water did. Later on that day she said she would be teaching Shera some dance steps so she would know them when she went to dance class. Next she showed us a harp sitting the room off the livingroom. She was learning to play it. Janet did everything perfectly, yet she was rather unassuming about it all. She loved everyone and we loved and will always love her. She will always be in my heart."
	Rex Jewell remembers... "Growing up, Janet and I were in 4-H. We took fat lambs to the Marion County Fair one year. Janet had spent many hours grooming her lamb prior to the fair, whereas I didn't spend nearly as much time on mine. The end results were that mine received a Reserve Grand Champion and hers a Blue Ribbon! We also participated in Showmanship with our lambs. Again, I received Top Blue and she only received Blue. She was quite upset because it was my first year in 4-H and her fourth! Janet was quite competative and enjoyed winning, and to be beat out by her little brother did not make her happy! I remember when I was approximately ten years old Janet was "babysitting" Bob and me while our parents went to a meeting. It was winter time and quite cold outside. Janet and I were "scrapping" a little and she went to her bedroom which was just off the dining room and I went to the living room with a rubber ball. Janet bent over the bed to pick up something and I saw my opportunity to get her good. I had a straight shot from the living room to her bedroom, and I winged the rubber ball at her back side, but just then she moved and the ball missed her and went through the bedroom window! The cold air was rushing in and we didn't know what to do so we fearfully waited for our parents came home. When they got home the house was cold and needless to say they were quite upset and had to put plastic and plywood over the window until it could be fixed. Janet and I both got in trouble for fighting even though it was me who threw the ball!"
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