Janet Berry

Janet Robertson Berry of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, April 7, 2017, at Southeast Hospital after a valiant battle with cancer for several years.

Janet is the third of three daughters born to James Henry and Helen Robertson of Warren (Bradley County), Arkansas. The Robertsons were fifth-generation dairy farmers.

Janet graduated from Warren High School in 1977, where she was widely known for her love of music. She loved to play piano and sing in several choirs, madrigals and ensembles. She was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Warren until she left to attend college at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

She and Daniel "Dan" Berry, also of Warren, began their courtship at OBU and married in 1980 at First Baptist Church in Warren. During the summers, both worked at the local tomato chain, where Southeast Arkansas is famously known as "The Pink Tomato Capital of the World."

Janet received a Bachelor of Science in education from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas, with a major in special education and speech therapy. Her first teaching job was at Walnut Valley Christian Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she established the first resource room dedicated to children with special needs.

She also held teaching positions at Longpoint Baptist School in Houston; Van Elementary in Van, Texas; Lake Hamilton Elementary in Hot Springs, Arkansas; and Scott City Elementary in Scott City, where she completed her last teaching appointment before embarking on her ultimate life calling as one of the first Journey Guides at the SoutheastHEALTH Cancer Center in Cape Girardeau. As a Journey Guide, Janet assisted many patients through their cancer-treatment experience, providing encouragement and helping ensure patients and their families continued to live life to their fullest potential while undergoing treatment.

She retired in 2016 to pursue her greatest joy as "Nana" to her granddaughter, Emily Grace Berry, who had just arrived.

Janet is survived by her husband of 36 years, Dan Berry of Cape Girardeau; son Daniel (Krista) Berry and granddaughter Emily Grace Berry of Jackson; son David Berry (Alexa Peetz) of St. Louis; daughter, Rachel Berry (Scott Miller) of Columbia, South Carolina; sister, Rebecca (Mac) Rochelle of Little Rock; nephew, Jeff (Cindy) Rochelle of Maumelle, Arkansas; her lifelong close and special friend and college roommate, Terri Holman of Little Rock; and three elderly rescue dogs, Daisy, Duke and Stubby, her loyal canine companions, who watched over her during televised Cardinal games.

Janet was predeceased by her parents; an infant brother; a sister, Nancy Robertson Sparks; and a niece, Amanda Rochelle.

Graveside service and burial will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Robertson Family Plot at Oakland Cemetery in Warren, officiated by the Rev. Ruffin Snow, Janet's cousin, for whom Janet served as flower girl at his wedding to Melissa Carter.

Visitation will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the cemetery by Frazer's Funeral Home in Warren.

A public memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the SoutheastHEALTH Cancer Center, 789 S. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau.

An online guest book is at frazerfuneralhome.com.