Janet Roberts

Janet Lee Roberts, 90, of Cape Girardeau gallantly and peacefully passed away Saturday, April 28, 2012, at her home.

She was born March 28, 1922, at Jackson, to Eldon and Eula M. Linebarger Roberts.

Janet was a 1940 graduate of Jackson High School where she played clarinet in school band five years, starting in seventh grade. She also played in the Oscar T. Honey Infantry Band of Chaffee, Mo., and Jackson Municipal Band.

Her hobbies included playing the piano, flower gardening, crocheting and sewing. She was also an accomplished artist painting with oil. She enjoyed traveling and had traveled to nearly all of the United States, including Alaska, and also Canada and Mexico. She had collected rocks and minerals, was a friend of wildlife, nature and Native Americans.

Janet's first job in the mid-1930s was under the watchful eye of her father who managed the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. in Jackson. Janet's job was to apply the old paper labels to the Milde's special soda bottles. The summer of 1938 she examined bottles for cleanliness as they dispensed onto a conveyor from the washer. She was secretary to attorney E.A. Mason after school hours in winter of 1938, then summers and winters of 1939 to 1940 until his death in May 1940. She started working as secretary in probate court for Judge Jack O. Knehans on June 1, 1940. After probate hours, she worked for attorney Robert M. Buerkle two years; continued in the probate court and also was typist for Cape Girardeau County Recorder of Deeds E.W. Hink until November 1943.

She was a stay-at-home mother from then until Sept. 1, 1955, at which time she began her 42-year career in the abstract business working at Harry Culp's Abstract Title & Guaranty Corp. until Jan. 1, 1958, when Cape Girardeau County Abstract & Title Co. Inc. purchased Mr. Culp's business. Janet continued working there preparing abstracts of land title, drawing land plats and writing land title insurance. She was instrumental in preparing the land plats and land titles for several miles of Interstate 55. She retired at the age of 75 in 1997 and then devoted thousands of hours the following five years preparing the family genealogy.

Loving survivors include a daughter, Deborah (John) Clifton of Cape Girardeau; two grandchildren, Scott (Katherine) Clifton of Naperville, Ill., Chris (Karla) Clifton of Jackson; two great-grandchildren, Morgan (Steve) Pacheco of Naperville, Anthony (Felicity) Clifton of Romford, U.K.; and a great-great-grandson, Lucas Pacheco.

Also surviving are nieces, Susan (Larry) Harris of Springfield, Mo., Becky (Bruce) Penrod of Jackson; a nephew, Phillip Besher of Springfield; a sister, Jean (Bobby) Lincoln of Cape Girardeau; nieces, Carol (Bob) Skowbo of Cape Girardeau and Tamara (Larry) Koenig of Jackson; a nephew, David (Trudy) Lincoln of Tupelo, Miss.; five great-nephews; and three great-nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents; an infant brother; and a sister, Thelma L. Besher of Jackson.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Chris Clifton, Janet's grandson, officiating. Interment will be in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

Pallbearers will be Scott Clifton, Anthony Clifton, Steve Pacheco, Phillip Besher, David Taylor and Scott Browning.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to the Defenders of Wildlife or Navajo Nation.