Janet June Higbee's Obituary
Janet June (Brecht) Higbee passed away on September 5, 2020. She was born on June 21, 1943, to Andrew N. and Mildred (Fike) Brecht. Janet grew up in Ferris Township and attended the Klees Road School before graduating from Vestaburg High School in 1961. She married Edward Kern Higbee in November 1962, and together they had three sons Edward Alton, James, and Jon. Edward preceded Janet in death in May 1976. Janet was employed by the Wolverine Company of Ithaca in the 1960s and went to work as a CNA at the Masonic Home in Alma in the early 1970s. After retiring in 1999, Janet enjoyed traveling to Florida and California to visit family and friends. Janet was an exceptional cook, and family and friends often asked her to make their favorite dishes. Janet also enjoyed holiday decorating, quilting, completing word searches, and cheering on the Tigers as well as football teams coached by Jon ("Chucky") Gruden. After suffering a stroke in April 2018, Janet spent the remainder of her life at the Schnepp Senior Care and Rehab Center in St. Louis. In addition to her sons, Janet is survived by her daughter-in-law, Stephanie Mathson; granddaughters, Rachel (Jason) Wheeler and Heather (Adam) Steele; grandson, Dylan Higbee; great-grandchildren, Owen, Natalie, and Abby Wheeler, and Henry, Hudson, and Harvey Steele; brothers John Brecht and Jerry (Sharon) Brecht; sister Helen Wilson; brother-in-law Richard Eichorn; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends. In addition to her husband, Janet was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Andrew (Shirley) Brecht, Marjorie (Daniel) Lepley, Harriet Sherman, Barbara (William) Jerome, and Norma Eichorn; and sister-in-law Donna Brecht. Her family will host a celebration of Janet's life in June 2021. Memorial contributions may be made in Janet's honor to the activities fund at Schnepp Senior Care and Rehab Center 427 E. Washington St. in St. Louis, Michigan 48880.
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