Janice Deweese Jones

Janice Carol Thomas Deweese Jones, best known to some as Gaga, died Saturday, May 13, 2023, at Poplar Springs Nursing Center in Meridian. Alzheimer’s had slowly taken away our Gaga over the last five years.  She was from stern stock and survived Alzheimer’s longer than most would have.

Janice Carol Thomas was born in Meridian on September 21, 1933 to parents Otis and Bessie Thomas.  She was the fourth child of nine, with older sisters Beatrice Lee, Nell Ishee, Juanita (died as infant), Janice, Ruth Edwards, Joanne Yates, James (Bud) Thomas, and Ray Thomas. This family of 10 moved to the home place on Highway 45 South a few years after Janice was born and were raised in the Clarkdale Community and Jones Chapel Church of God.

Janice met Glen Deweese after she had graduated high school and had moved to Jackson.  On Halloween night 1952, they married and the next week Glen received his draft notice with the newlyweds off to the Army. On August 3, 1954, daughter Glenda Sue Deweese was born at Fort Benning, Georgia. This young family returned to Jackson and wound up buying a convenience food store, then a Fairway Grocery store. On September 8, 1959, Carl Douglas Deweese was born.  Janice supported Glen by being a great homemaker, mother, and did bookkeeping for the business. During this time, they became charter members of Broadmoor Baptist Church. They saw the future of convenience food stores and went all in, selling the grocery store and moving to Meridian in 1966.

This new business was growing, they settled in the Clarkdale community near family, and joined Mt. Olive Baptist Church, where Doug and Sue were baptized.  Sue played the piano and organ at the church. Then tragedy struck as Janice and Sue were in a wreck that took Sue’s life in July 1968. Janice was in the hospital for six weeks with injuries that left her with a permanent limp. Janice struggled living near the wreck site, and they moved into Meridian in 1970.

The convenience store business thrived.  They joined First Baptist Church. Glen became involved in politics and serving on the convenience store national association board. This opened up travel opportunities all over the United States and the world.  Janice enjoyed her church, southern gospel music, and traveling with Glen or with family and friends.  Doug married Bet Wahrendorff and grandchildren Carly, Matthew and Thomas came along—and that was when she was deemed Gaga.

In 2001, Glen got cancer and died in September.  With her faith and family, Janice soldiered through this loss.  She started visiting inmates in the jails of Kemper County with her brother Bud.  She went on two mission trips to India for three weeks at a time.  She continued to teach the “older ladies” Sunday School class.

And Owen Jones asked her out on a date in 2004 and they married that June. Janice made Owen get a passport and they honeymooned in Italy, returning on a trans-Atlantic cruise.  They went on a mission trip to India together and settled into a wonderful life together until Alzheimer's began.  Eventually, Janice had to reside at the Brookdale Clarebridge Memory Care unit for four years and spent her last year at the Poplar Springs Nursing Center.

Janice is survived by Doug and Bet Deweese, Carly and Adam Brimer with Jay and Wyatt, Matthew and Menton Deweese with Ella and Adeline, and Thomas and Mary Lauren Deweese with Charlotte.  Ruth Edwards is her surviving sister and Bud Thomas is her surviving brother.  There are many nieces and nephews and extended family members.  Also, much of her spirit remains with the friends of First Baptist Church.

The family would like to recognize the excellent care she received by Quality Hospice Care hospice nurse Faith Anderson and CNA Patonya Williams, and the staffs at Brookdale and Poplar Springs. In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials be made to Hope Village for Children, First Baptist Church, any Alzheimer’s research organization, or the charity of your choice.

A memorial service will be held Saturday at 10am, May 27th at Central United Methodist Church, followed by a graveside service at Magnolia Cemetery. Robert Barham Family Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements.