December 14, 1942 – December 3, 2020
Janet G. Owens, 77, formerly of Sheridan, passed away at her home in Plainfield on Thursday, December 3, 2020. Born December 14, 1942 in Dunbar, Va., she was the daughter of the late James Earl and Ruby Pauline (Ward) Sage.
She was a 1960 graduate of Pennington Gap High School.
Janet had a talent for working with her hands. Not only was she a talented woodworker, but she was also a wonderful seamstress, able to sew just about anything you put in front of her. Patterns were optional, and rarely ever needed. She put those skills to good use during her time at Aero Drapery, and later working as a seamstress for Queen Anne Drapery. In between those two jobs, she worked alongside her husband Manuel at Biddle Screw Products in Sheridan. This was treated as a test run to see how they would fare working together. Since both parties came away unscathed, they decided to try their hand working side by side once again, this time in a totally different setting: flipping houses. Janet and Manuel began house flipping long before it was the “hot thing” to do in real estate. They enjoyed not only doing the work themselves, but the time it allowed them to spend together.
Family was her everything. Whether it was taking a family camping trip, going fishing, or feeding the entire crew with her amazing Sunday dinners, family was always first and foremost in her mind. However, Janet’s loyalty and devotion always seemed to take a back seat when it came to family game night. There would be no mercy shown and no prizes for second place. Whether it was her weekly Boggle and Upwards games with her daughters and sister, heading out with her sister on Fridays to play Bingo, hitting the casino with Manuel to try and beat the house, or defending her title as the Owens family Scrabble Champion, Janet loved playing games and loved to win. She helped keep her mind sharp and maintain her competitive edge by doing jigsaw puzzles. She also played in a league at Stardust Bowl for many years. Janet also enjoyed going to bazaars and craft fairs.
At the end of the day, family always came first. Janet was a wonderful wife and mother, but grandma was the role she loved most.
Janet is survived by her sons, Fred Owens (Terri), Indianapolis, and Jeff Owens (Beth), Sheridan; daughters, Mary Pratt (Tim), Ingalls, Jany Runion (Rob), Brownsburg, Jodie Brown (Rodney), Plainfield, and Jennifer Clouse (Patrick), Myrtle Beach, S.C.; 11 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; brothers, Jay Sage, Tulsa, Okla., and Tim Sage, Stickleyville, Va.; sister, Trina Smith (Chris), Camby, Ind.; and brother-in-law, Gene Bowen, Stickleyville, Va.
She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Sharon Bowen; sister-in-law, Lawana Sage; and by the love of her life, her husband, Manuel Lee Owens, on January 6, 2017. She and Manuel were married on May 30, 1963.
Visitation will be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at Kercheval Funeral Home, 306 E. 10th St., Sheridan, with a private family service to follow.
Burial will take place at Spencer Cemetery in Sheridan. David Rosenthall will be officiating.
Strict COVID precautions will be observed, including the wearing of masks.
Condolences: KerchevalFuneralHome.com