Janet J. Wilcox
Janet J. Wilcox, 86, of Sioux Falls, SD passed away peacefully in her sleep Monday, May 5, 2025 at the Good Samaritan Luther Manor. Her funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM, Monday, May 12th at the East Side Lutheran Church. Burial will be in the Hills of Rest Cemetery.
Visitation will be 3:00 - 5:00 PM, Sunday, May 11th at the George Boom Funeral Home, with family present.
Janet Jeannine Gerry, daughter of Harold and Eleanor (Overcash) Gerry, was born August 9, 1938 in Sioux Falls. She attended Longfellow grade school, Washington High School and Nettleton Commercial College for Accounting.
One of her first jobs was as a secretary at Sunshine Mutual Insurance Co and later as the Underwriting Department Supervisor. Also while working there she happened to be looking out the window one day and noticed a handsome young man drive by in his ’56 convertible turquoise t-bird. Janet also worked as Finance Secretary at East Side Lutheran Church, Lowell Klanderud, CPA as a Bookkeeper, Klanderud, Montoya CPAs as Bookkeeper and finally retiring in 1998 from Klanderud, Montoya, Webben & Feehan CPAs in Sioux Falls as Office Manager.
Janet’s best friend, Mae, happened to know that handsome young man in that t-bird and arranged for them to meet. Janet and John were married Sept 17, 1960 in Sioux Falls. They raised two sons, Steven and Greg. John and Janet hosted many, many holiday family get-togethers at their home, especially on the 4th of Julys and Thanksgivings.
She was always busy doing something, she sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, was Treasurer of the Children’s Care Auxiliary for many years, learned and enjoyed knitting, crochet, embroidery, tatting, sewing, gardening and bowling. Janet did not know the word “retirement” because she volunteered just about as many hours. Whether it was at church, Children’s Care (LifeScape), watching her only grandchild, or caring for a sick family member. On more than one occasion, Janet was away from her home for more than a year either taking care of her daughter-in-law, Celia, or her brother, Dean. Janet was such a great lady that genuinely cared about everybody. She didn’t care what it cost her, she only wanted to help others.
After John passed in 2020, Janet’s grandson, Cody Wilcox, made a point to visit Janet everyday after work for at least two hours and Fridays were their special nights together where she would teach him how to cook and she created a special recipe book of those recipes just for him. After she moved into Luther Manor, Cody continued to visit her everyday after work and on Fridays she would ask what she wanted and he would pick up a special meal for them to share. They meant the world to each other!
Grateful for having shared her life are her two sons, Steven Wilcox of LaPlata, Maryland and Gregory Wilcox and his wife, Beth, of Sioux Falls; her grandson, Cody Wilcox of Sioux Falls; brother, Gordon (Gerry) Graham (Sheila Graham) of North Carolina; and sister, Kristy Gerry (Mike Millikan), Lincoln, Nebraska.
Janet was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Eleanor Gerry; there brothers, Harold, Gene, and Dean Gerry; sister, Deon Van Den Berg; her daughter-in-law, cilia Wilcox; and husband, John Wilcox in 2020.
Memorials may be directed to East Side Lutheran Church Radio or Music Fund.