Janet Kay Thompson

Janet Kay Thompson, 87, passed away peacefully on November 15, 2024 at the Hospice House in Bend, Oregon, with family by her side. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 14, 1937, to Virgil Leroy Berryman and Geraldine Irene (Carroll) Berryman, the oldest of five children.

Jan, as she likes to be called, spent her elementary school years in St. Louis while her dad went to Mortician School and her mom studied to become a Funeral Director. They then moved to Cozad, Nebraska, and started Berryman Funeral Home in 1947 when she was 10. With both parents running the business out of their residence, Jan spent much of her time helping to care for her younger siblings, which she always spoke of fondly. She loved being a big sister. 

At 13, Jan was baptized with her younger brother, Jim, who was 12. Her love for the Lord was strong, fostered by her paternal grandmother, whom she visited often. With a passion for music and a desire to serve the Lord, she learned to play the piano and began playing at church on Sundays. 

After high school, Jan married. She spent most of her adult life in California, raising her six children and staying active in a church community. After her children were grown and in her Senior years, she found a church in Santa Rosa, CA, that brought her so much joy, Christian Family Fellowship, her second home. It was so close to her house that she could walk and grab a Starbucks on the way home. 

Jan enjoyed gardening and having plants in her home. I’m not sure anyone could grow and bloom African Violets like her. She also loved Ladies Bible Studies, Bingo, and Mexican Train Dominos. But her greatest joy of all was her grandchildren, as nothing made her happier than a call or a visit from them. 

In November 2020, Jan moved to Bend, Oregon, near her daughter and son-in-law, where she lived out her remaining years. She resided at the Cascades of Bend Retirement Community, where she received excellent care while battling Pulmonary Fibrosis. 

Jan is survived by her sister, Betty Rowe; brother-in-law, Terry Rowe; sister-in-law, Phyliss Berryman; and sister-in-law, Karen Berryman. Sons, Steve (Connie) Thompson, Rick Thompson, and Mark Thompson. Daughter, Susan (Chris) Wilhelmsen, and daughter-in-law, Flor Thompson. Grandchildren: Martin, Lorena, Matt (Stacy), Melissa (Evan), David (Amber), Jessica, Nick, Nicole (William), August, and Lennox. Great Grandchildren: Anthony, Henry, Sawyer, Sloane, Oliver, Noah, Grayson, Kayden, Logan, Liam, Jasper, Brooklyn, Stanley, and Brynley.

She was preceded in death by her brothers, Jim, Bill, and Richard, and her children, son Timothy and daughter Sandra. 

The Memorial Service will be held in Cozad, Nebraska, in Spring 2025.