Janice Elaine Pettit's Obituary
On August 29, 1942, Clell and Zula (Scott) Couchman of rural Seymour, Iowa, welcomed into the world their first child, Janice Elaine Couchman. Janice passed out of this world on March 25, 2016. But the "dash" between these two dates was a beautiful life. Janice grew up on a farm, attending a one room rural school house until high school. When two sisters and a brother joined the family, she assumed the "big sister" role and liked helping and teaching her siblings. In 1956 she started attending Seymour High School where she met her future husband. In 1960 she graduated from SHS, and then enrolled at State College of Iowa (now UNI). Her love for education, teaching and music continued and 4 years later she earned her BA with a major in teaching business and office practice and a minor in music. She spent her summers working as a counselor at an Easter Seal camp for handicapped children and her student teaching was done at the Iowa School for the Blind. Following graduation she accepted a position in Hampton, IA, teaching office practice and developing a "co-op" for her students with local businesses, so they could attend school half day and gain work experience in the afternoons. The following summer on June 26, 1965, Janice married Don Pettit (that pesky boy from SHS that just wouldn't go away) at the Promise City Church of Christ. Janice's life was filled with her love of teaching, music, church, and family wherever Don's job took them, first to Columbus, Ohio, then Santa Paula, California, and finally to Marietta, Georgia. She was always active in the local church choir and in teaching Sunday School. In Columbus she taught HS for 5 years before the move to CA where a new avenue of music was found in the Sweet Adelines, a women's barbershop harmony international competition choir organization. During the next 25 years she was part of building a small choir of about 17 voices into the Region 21 championship choir of about 180 voices. Along the way they competed at several International competitions, performed concerts on the Queen Elizabeth ll, at Carnegie Hall, at Magic Mountain, and did a 2 week concert tour of England, Scotland, and Wales. But her greatest joy was the birth of sons, Scott, in 1970, and David, in 1981. However, in 2003 a persistent cough became a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer and began her hardest battle. While the next 13 years of her life were increasingly difficult, she lived life with a smile and faith in God, and saw both sons graduate and marry wonderful young women, David graduate law school, the birth of 5 super grandchildren, and celebrated 50 years of marriage. She is survived by husband, Don Pettit of Marietta, GA, son Scott Pettit with wife, Karri, and their three children, Hudson, Kyan, and Ella of Temecula, CA, son, David Pettit with wife, Caroline and their 2 children, Edie and Abe of Silver Spring, MD, sister Careece and husband, Ken Thompson of Lisbon, IA, brother, Merrell with wife, Michelle Couchman, of Hudson, IA, and sister, Cheryl and husband, Dennis Housh of Seymour, IA, and 4 nieces and their families. A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, May 28, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at Thomas-Randolph Funeral Home in Seymour. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service at 12:00 p.m., interment will be in the Southlawn Cemetery immediately following the service. Condolences may be shared at thomasfh.com. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Janice Elaine Pettit please visit our Sympathy Store. Cemetery Details Southlawn Cemetery Visitation MAY 28. 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (CDT) Thomas Funeral Homes - Seymour 307 W. Wall StSeymour, IA 52590[emailprotected] Celebration of Life MAY 28. 1:00 PM (CDT) Thomas Funeral Homes - Seymour 307 W. Wall StSeymour, IA 52590[emailprotected]
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