Services for Janice Gail McKenzie, 83, will be on October 1st, 2023 at 10am at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Hardy Oak Cemetery in Jefferson County, KS.
Janice died Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. She was born June 12, 1940 in Corona, New Mexico, daughter of Claude and Lucille Tarpley. She graduated from Placer High School in Auburn, California.
She married Kenneth Alec McKenzie US Navy, on July 29, 1959 at the US Naval Base in San Diego, CA by the Chaplin. They had met on a blind date on a Monday, got married on a Wednesday, and he shipped out on a Friday for a year at sea. Kenneth died July 7, 2007. They were together for 48 beautiful years and had 2 daughters, Robbie and Melody.
Jan loved children and spent her life serving Jesus.
Proceeded in death were Janice’s parents, Lucille and Claude Tarpley, brothers Warren Preston Tarpley, Joe Mitchel Tarpley, and Howard Dale Tarpley.
She is survived by daughters Robbie (Rob) Fischer, Ottawa. Melody McKenzie (Michelle Gainer), Lawrence. Brother Jimmy Wade Tarpley, Dubois, Idaho and sister Amy Shirlene Tarpley, Citrus Heights, California.
Grandsons Shaun (Wanda) McKenzie, Blue Springs MO, Michael (Mischell) Peters, Philippines, Mark (Tanya) Bartling, Lecompton, Andrew (Paige) Barrows, Olathe, and Steven Barrows, Topeka.
Great grandsons Chet Bartling, Lecompton, Tommy and Evan Barrows, Olathe, Phillip McGraw, Tonganoxie, Austin and Nicholas Asmussen, Blue Springs, and Issac Bartling, Lecompton.
Great granddaughters Lacey Barrows, Topeka, Tabitha Peters, Lawrence, Danae and Delaney McKenzie, Springfield, Illinois, Neveah Peters, Philippines, Callie Bishop, Blue Springs, Marissa Bartling, Perry, Ashlyn Henney, Perry and Kay McKenzie, KCK.
Great great grandsons Bently and Hudson Umbenhower, KCK, and Waylon Henney, Perry.
Great great granddaughters Maria Umbenhower, KCK, Brelynn Cullumber, Perry, and Haidyn Henney, Perry.
Honorary granddaughters Dorothy Ann and Mary Ann and Bobbie Lee.
To livestream the service please click the link below
Aunt Janice, my Grandma’s sister, I may have only met you once or twice, but I know you were a very Happy person. My grandma use to tell us stories about you and her growing up.
RIP
A wonderful tribute to my cousin, a special soul. Thanks, Jimmy, especially for those human and “real” human stories I’d never before heard. Janice called me a few days before her passing to tell me about her illness and prognosis. She said, “Douglas, I’m at peace and ready to meet my Lord.” We prayed together, shared Scriptires and her last words for me, “I love you and your family, Douglas. Thanks for your encouragement. I know I’ll see you over there. ” Janice is now with the Lord she loved so much. We will miss you, but we know you’ve found joy and peace in the superlative degree.
My Aunt Janice .
I will always treasure the months that yourself, Melody and Robbie lived with us in Applegate .
You touched so many lives in such a loving , positive way .
You will truly be missed .
Love you , your little Lynnda
Jan will be greatly missed by many. Always a kind loving woman. She is my son in laws grandmother , and our grandsons great grandmother. Memories of her will last their lifetime. RIP grandma Jan
I am sorry for your loss, Jan will be missed by everyone that met her.
love you beyond the moon and past the stars. Love you always. Heaven just accepted one of God’s best. Miss you Sis
Grandma Jan was my ex grandmother in law and I will always remember her kindness and love. Rip Grandma Jan.
Jan was a true, pure evangelist, called by God to serve her Savior Jesus Christ, and to call the lost into eternal salvation in Him. When she passed away, I held my breath, trying to hear the angels singing in joy in Heaven, welcoming Jan back Home again. Her prayers were precious gifts, generously offered, and we dearly miss her already. Sincere loving condolences to Jan’s family; we keep you in our prayers, in Jan’s honor, to heal all broken hearts.
Philippians 1:9-10 (New American Standard Bible)
Thank you, LORD, for loaning Jan into our midst; we were blessed by her service to You and by the brilliant sunshine of her love! Looking forward to dancing with her in Heaven, when God calls us, too, Home to Him.
Thank You, God, for creating our beloved Jan; she loved and comforted us, according to Your perfect divine plan;
and now that You’ve recalled her, please remind her that we still deeply cherish her – and we always will!
Farewell, Jan! Dance like there’s no tomorrow! Sending LOvE your way, and prayers for your extended family!!
Oh, my Aunt Janice, There are so many things that I could say. But, I will say this. Aunt Janice Was possibly the most faithful (in the Lord) person I have known. She believed deeply in her faith, which brought her great comfort. Aunt Janice reminded me a lot of her Dad (Claude Tarpley, my Grandad). Both had never met a stranger. They would strike up a conversation with a person on the sidewalk, or who knows where. Aunt Janice liked to tease. She loved to smile and be happy. She always shared her faith and was concerned with others being happy. She also liked to share her memories and stories of growing up. Aunt Janice would always refer to me as her “little towheaded nephew”. She made me feel loved and important. I can only hope, that I gave her at least a part of that feeling back. The memories we created will be in my heart, forever. All my Love. Rest In Peace “Aunt Janice”.
Janice was my sister and my second mother as she took over when I was born. The guiding light of my life.
I met Jan at Freedom Church.. we loved the Lord, in so many ways, we would share what the Lord Jesus had done for us.. in songs, praying for others, we loved the horse ministry nite together.. Her smiles, and her heart we will never forget.. hope the Lord comforts you and leads you thru this season of your loss..
I’m so sorry for your loss, Jan was a dear friend and sister in Christ. Jan was filled with the joy of the Lord and shared that live with everyone she encountered. I have no doubt that Jan is resting easily in the arms of our Savior, Jesus.
I will be keeping the family in my thoughts and prayers. I pray that the Lord will comfort you as you grieve the loss and that God will give you peace knowing she is with him.
SO very sorry for your loss. Willard was a cousin from New Mexico, his being Helen May Tarpley Hall. We stopped in Kansas one night and spent the night. Had a great visit. She would call and visit with us periodically. Very nice person. Again sorry for your loss.
I met Jan where my mom(Beverly) introduced me to her. Then we became friends when I moved from Shawnee to Lawrence and moved into Babcock and we became close neighbors on the same floor and she help me through a very tough time with all my medical stuff and my mom passing. I will truly miss her and her smiling face all the time. My prayers and thoughts go out to her family and friends…
When I think of my Aunt Jan I immediately think of a joyful, loving, kind person who without a doubt knew her savior. I always felt special to her. We loved sharing our middle name and our close June birthdays. God bless your eternal life with Jesus. ❤️🙏
Hi, I loved Jan immensely. Every time I would see her joy would fill my heart. We always enjoyed sharing What Jesus was doing in our lives when we talked. I pray that the Lord will comfort you with His love as you process her loss. I don’t know if I’ll be able to come to her “going away party”. But my thoughts will be there.