Janet "Jan" McPheeters

KEWANEE – Janet M. McPheeters, 82, died Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 10:57 a.m. at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois.

She was born August 11, 1941 in Kewanee, the daughter of Broneslo and Helen (Sopiars) Balsis.

Jan married Robert McPheeters on August 3, 1968 in Kewanee. Her survivors include her husband of Kewanee, her daughter Melissa McPheeters of Redondo Beach, CA, her son Jonathan (Melissa) McPheeters of Aliso Viejo, CA, two brothers, Bernie (Sharon) and John (Janet) Balsis of Mission Viejo, CA, and her three grandchildren, Donavon, Vivian, and Jackson. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Jan was reared and attended Kewanee schools and graduated from Eureka College where she met the love of her life. Jan was a passionate teacher who began her long career with her first job at Wethersfield Elementary School in 1968 as a First Grade Teacher. Later she taught Kindergarten and 1st grade at Belle Alexander School. Prior to retiring, she transitioned to Irving School and was a reading specialist helping the students with improving their reading readiness. Dr. Suess was one of Jan’s favorite authors to teach. She often dressed up as The Cat in The Hat to engage students and get them excited about books and reading.  She loved to get them caught up as if right there in the stories.

Music was in Jan’s heart as she was a wonderful pianist and singer who was the longtime organist and choir Director at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Kewanee. Jan also lovingly used her musical skills to awaken her beautiful sleeping children with church music when they needed a little help getting up for the day’s high school classes! Ha! Mom could play the keys off that piano and did very often. We loved to sit and just listen to her play.

Jan also had a love for animals and adopted many from the animal shelter so they would be able to experience the true joy of a loving home. Her current adoptee, Milo, was given the great gift of her endless love.

Jan was a lifelong resident of Kewanee and thus got to know many, many people. She always greeted those she met with a smile and a warm hello. She often got the attention of those friends by calling out a loud ‘youuuuuuu-hoooooo’, often startling those who were not expecting it. She loved her hometown and served as Kewanee’s first Director of “Keep Kewanee Beautiful.” Jan was instrumental in organizing a city-wide cleanup effort involving all city schools and numerous city clubs. Mom was so proud of Kewanee; she would always introduce herself as “Jan McPheeters from Kewanee Illinois!”

Jan could light up a room with a smile and loved to spend every Tuesday with her old pals from Belle Alexander School swapping stories and good times over a blended Amaretto Stone Sour.

Jan enjoyed her puzzle books. You would never see her without a word search or crossword puzzle in hand.  She enjoyed traveling as well, especially her trips to California to visit her kids, grandkids, brothers, and family. Her love for her family was never-ending, and she was definitely the heart that held the family together.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Monday, August 5 at Saint John Paul II Parish in Kewanee. The celebrant will be Fr. Chris Haake. The visitation will be held from 4:00-6:00 p.m., Sunday at Rux Funeral Home in Kewanee with recitation of the rosary at 3:30 p.m. Private inurnment will be held at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Visitation Catholic School, Henry County Humane Society-Kewanee Chapter and the Henry County Senior Citizens Center.

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