Janis Neergaard

COOKEVILLE-Funeral services for Janis Delores Owens Neergaard, age 74, of Cookeville will be held Saturday, February 4 at 3 p.m. in the Cookeville Chapel of Hooper Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home with interment to follow in Crest Lawn Cemetery. Dr. Randall Adkisson and Rev. Charles Hutchinson will officiate. The family will receive friends Saturday 1 p.m. until service time at the funeral home. Janis Delores Owens was born August 5, 1937 in Hancock County, TN to the late James Carper and Verlia Louise Dodd Owens. In 1956, she graduated salutatorian of her high school class at Hancock County High, Sneedville, TN. She was junior, then senior editor of the school annual. In 1959, Janis earned a BS degree with Cum Laude honors in mathematics with minors in chemistry and physics from Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN. She also received a secondary teaching certificate for teaching math, chemistry, and physics. At LMU, she belonged to and held offices in the French Club, Science Club, Christian Coeds for Christ (CCC), Baptist Student Union, and Student National Education Association. She served on the House Council of her dorm in her junior year and as secretary of the Science Club in her junior and senior years. She was hired for a secondary math, teaching position in Lynchburg, VA after graduation, but chose marriage instead. After her children grew up, Janis went back to school and earned a master's degree in education in 1987 from Lincoln Memorial University. She was on the graduate school council, and was selected by the graduate school for "Who"�s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges". Later, she received an associate degree in computer applications from the University of New Mexico"�Los Alamos. There, she was selected to "Outstanding College Students of America". In her freshman year of college (1956), Janis met her future husband, James Robert Neergaard, while walking on Sunday morning with groups of students from Lincoln Memorial University to the First Baptist Church in Harrogate, Tennessee. After she received her BS degree, they were married at the First Baptist Church in 1959. They first lived in Tallahassee, FL, where Janis worked in the Chemistry Department and Robert was a math instructor at Florida State University. Intrigued by the West, Janis and Robert ended up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where they raised their three children. Janis taught chemistry and physics at Lincoln Memorial University; math at Ellen Myers School in Harrogate, TN; computer applications at the University of New Mexico--Los Alamos; math and science at Pueblo Junior High School in Los Alamos; electronics at Las Cumbres Learning Services in Los Alamos; and workshops at Mountain Elementary School in Los Alamos. Janis loved her family, greatly, and made rearing her children her major career. She believed that nurturing and molding the lives of one"�s own children is the greatest, most challenging, and rewarding career on earth! Janis and Robert sold their home in Los Alamos and moved to Collierville, TN in 1996, where Robert worked at International Paper. In January of 2003, Janis and Robert moved to Cookeville, TN for their final retirement home. In Cookeville, they attended First Baptist Church and joined the Fellowship Sunday School Class. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James Robert Neergaard. Janis is survived by her three sons, Lynn and wife Judy Neergaard of Huntsville, AL; Daryl and wife Sherry Neergaard of Fairview, TN; and Mike and wife Misty Neergaard of Oak Ridge, TN; grandchildren, Miriam, Ben, and Steven of Huntsville; Corey of Fairview; and Maitland and Marcel of Oak Ridge; brothers, Wallace and wife Neville Ann Owens of Church Hill, TN; Jim and wife Evelyn Owens of Rogersville, TN; and Jerry and wife Nona Owens of Sweetwater, TN. Pallbearers will be Jim Wilson, Ralph Carl, Keith Jones, Wendell Kendrick, "Gus"� Rich, and Earl Stephens. Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Fellowship Sunday School Class of First Baptist Church, the staff of Helping Hearts Home Health Care and Robert & Bonnie Ray, her close neighbors and wonderful friends. The family wishes to thank Dr. Kenneth Woods, her personal physician, the Helping Hearts staff for their loving and professional care, Jane Goodman, the sister she never had, and all of her friends and neighbors who offered help at every turn. Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements (931)526-6111. You may share your thoughts and memories at www.hhhfunerals.com