February 12, 1947 - February 02, 2020
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The Services celebrating and honoring the life of Janie Word, 72, of Enid will be held at 01:00 P.M. Saturday February 08, 2020 in the First United Methodist Church with Reverend Susan Southall officiating. Burial will be held at 01:00 P.M. Friday February 07, 2020 in the Holdenville Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Brown-Cummings Funeral Home.
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Mary Jane "Janie" was born in San Antonio and lived on Essar Ranch, west of San Antonio, where her father was the veterinarian and ranch manager. She had an ideal childhood walking to her two-room school through the pasture. In February of 1956 she moved with her family to Kermac Ranch, southwest of Poteau, OK where her father was the ranch manager and partnered with Robert S. Kerr and Dean A. McGee. She graduated from Poteau High School in 1965 where she was salutatorian and was the drum major of the band. She moved to McKee-Keesee Ranch west of Edmond, OK in May of 1965. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1969 with a B.S. in Medical Technology with a major emphasis in Microbiology, Zoology and Chemistry. At OU she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority where she made lifelong friends and was also a member of the President's Leadership Class. After graduating from OU, she completed a hospital internship at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka, KS.
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Janie married William (Bill) Word, the love of her life, on Aug. 17, 1968 in Edmond, OK and they were married 51 years. They lived in Topeka, KS for one year during her internship. They moved to Lawrence, KS for one year where she worked at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. They returned to Edmond, OK where she worked at the VA Hospital in Oklahoma City so Bill could attend graduate school at OU. They moved to Enid, OK in 1971 where she was a part of the medical community for many years. They planned to stay a year or two, but with friends and neighbors like Dr. Jim and Betsy Mabry, John and Marsha Scott, Dr. Roy and Janet Camp, Dr. Sandy and Anne Abernethy, they decided to stay to raise their children here. She worked at Bass Hospital, then several doctor's offices and finally at St. Mary's Hospital where she worked for over 40 years. She started as a medical technologist in the Laboratory, then became the Infection Prevention and Control Manager, and was the Laboratory Manager at St. Mary's when she retired in 2014. She remained on staff part-time until she fully retired in 2019. Janie was a member of First United Methodist Church, Enid, OK, where she served as President of the United Methodist Women, Chairman of the Worship Committee, Secretary of the Board of Trustees, and a member of the Melody Makers, Administrative Board, Chancel Choir, and the John Russell and TNT Sunday School classes. She served as President of the Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club, President of Chapter DB PEO, President of Enid Panhellenic, and was a sustaining member of Junior Welfare League of Enid. After retirement Janie volunteered at Loaves & Fishes.
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She is survived by her loving husband, Bill, and her son, Dr. Jeffrey Word and wife Chelsi of Frisco, TX and her daughter, Lindsey Word, of Houston, TX; her sister, Dr. Nancy Walter of Tulsa, OK and brother and wife, Paul Jr. and Julia Keesee, of Holdenville, OK; three grandchildren, Benton, Davis, and Maggie Word, and three nephews (Jim II, Chris, and Cody) and two nieces (Nance and Stephanie).
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She was preceded in death by her parents and her nephew, Michael Walter.
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In lieu of flowers, the family would like to support the Care Ministries Fund at Enid First United Methodist Church with Brown-Cummings Funeral Home serving as custodian of the funds.
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Condolences may be made to the family online at www.Brown-Cummings.com. As one of Oklahomaʼs oldest single family owned and operated providers of funerals and cremations, Brown-Cummings is the name families have turned to for generations. They fully understand the honor and responsibility entrusted to them to preserve the story of oneʼs life. Visit 400 W. Maple, Enid, OK 73701. Call: (580) 237-5432.
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Obituaries are posted, in part, due to the generosity of The Commons.
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