Janice Spear, 92, of Ogallala, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, December 29, 2023, surrounded by her children and loved ones.
Jan was born on December 28, 1931, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to Lewis and Rosalind (Hahn) McLane. She grew up in Falmouth, Massachusetts. After graduating high school, she attended Colby Junior College in New London, New Hampshire. After graduating, she worked as a secretary at MIT before deciding to head out on a new adventure that took her to Denver, Colorado.
In Denver, she met a handsome former sailor named Gene Spear. The two were married during a blizzard on February 19, 1955, in Ogallala, Nebraska. They would remain in Gene's hometown of Ogallala where they raised their family. They were the loving parents of six children: Tony, Steven, Mary, Christine, Diane, and Philip.
Jan converted to Catholicism when she moved to Denver and remained a devoted and faithful Catholic for the rest of her life. Her faith was central in her life, and she always turned to God first in times of worry or grief.
Growing up in Cape Cod, she went to the beach often and continued to enjoy going to the beach, camping, and boat rides at Lake McConaughy. But her favorite thing to do was to play cards. Pitch and Skat were her favorites and she seemed to always have a lucky hand. She was known in later years to profess that she wasn't sure if she remembered how to play but then would end up winning all the money.
Jan loved to watch football, with the Nebraska Cornhuskers as her favorite. She was a true fan no matter what the record, no matter what the score. And she didn't just watch the game; she always followed up the following week by watching Big Red Wrap-Up to see if she agreed with their analysis of the game.
Jan loved to travel, and it didn't matter the distance, whether it was to McCook or Massachusetts. She just wanted to be part of the action and didn't want to miss a thing. On the day of her granddaughter's wedding, she had fallen and was taken to get stitches. She missed the wedding ceremony but was able to make it to the reception and did not let a few stitches keep her from getting out on that dance floor.
Jan never met a stranger. She was always interested in meeting new people and truly cared about what they had to say. She would greet people and animals alike with her beautiful smile. Since her childhood, she always had family pets and had many favorites, including her cat Licorice, who was able to be with her when she went to the assisted living facility in her final two years.
Jan had such a large, loving heart with room for everyone. She gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. She had so much kindness and compassion for the less fortunate.
She spent the last two years of her life in the assisted living facility in Ogallala, Nebraska. She was strong in making that decision for herself, and once there, she thrived. During her time there, she met many new friends and had wonderful caregivers. So, this wonderful, sweet, kind, generous, beautiful woman - a Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mom, Grammy, Great Grammy, and Aunt will be so sorely missed on this earth. We will keep you forever in our hearts.
Jan is survived by her five children, Tony (Doris) Spear of Cheyenne, Wyoming; Mary (Kevin) Kuxhausen of Mitchell, Nebraska; Christine Meyer and special friend Roger Banderet of Ogallala, Nebraska, Diane Stevenson of Ogallala, Nebraska, and Philip (Melissa) Spear of Lincoln, Nebraska; four grandchildren, Lindsay Kuxhausen, Amara (Cobus) Block, Callie (Scott) Braley, and Capri Meyer; one great-granddaughter, Caroline Block; sisters-in-law, Nancy McLane, Sue Wacker of McCook, Nebraska and Corrine (Carl) Splitt of Tucson, Arizona; brother-in-law, Mike (Denise) Spear of Pompano Beach, Florida; and nieces and nephews.
Jan was preceded in death by her husband, Gene; her infant son, Steven; her parents, Lewis and Rosalind McLane; and her brother, Robert McLane.
A memorial has been established in Jan's memory for later designation. Condolences may be shared at prairiehillsfuneralhome.com, where the Mass will be streamed live.
Funeral Mass will be on Friday, January 5, 2024, at 10 am at the St. Luke's Catholic Church in Ogallala with Fr Bryan Ernest as Celebrant. Interment will be in the Ogallala Cemetery.
Visitation will be on Thursday from 2 pm until 5 pm at the Prairie Hills Funeral Home in Ogallala. Rosary and Wake Service will begin at 5 pm on Thursday at the funeral home.
Prairie Hills Funeral Home of Ogallala is in charge of arrangements.