Janice was born May 4, 1939, to Walter Cass and Irene Hebert Cass in
Oakley, KS. She graduated from Oakley High School with the Class of
1957. After she graduated, she briefly attended flight attendant school
in Omaha, NE. She married Gary Baalman in Oakley, January 11, 1958.
Janice was a phenomenal loving wife, mother, and friend. Her family
always came first; her various dogs a close second. Cooking, gardening,
sewing, and painting were a few her many talents. Janice carefully
decorated, cared for, and had a lot of pride in her home. Everything
always had it’s place. Janice was a genius at organizing. She always
desired for her home to be ready for an unexpected visitor and you would
never find a speck of dust. Her creativity will live well into the
future through her scrapbooks, quilts, and genealogical projects.
Janice was beautiful inside and out. She was always up for a for a
shopping trip. Many would call her a fashion trendsetter and Janice
always looked amazing. It was important to her to be buttoned up and
looking her best. Janice’s class and elegance stemmed from her desire
for everything to match and compliment.
Throughout her life she loved creativity and movement. Janice loved
to dance and golf. Gary and Janice were very elegant and fun dancers. If
they ever went to a wedding they were always on the floor for the
majority of the night. She was a social butterfly and loved a good
party. She was always on the go and couldn’t sit still for long.
Janice’s fun, playful, social nature is how she built her enormous
circle of friends. She was a competitive card shark. Janice was always
up for a good card game. She loved to play bridge. Gary and Janice for
many decades belonged to a monthly bridge club. The legacy of playing
games will live on through the generations of Baalmans.
Janice was adventurous and adored traveling. She traveled with Gary
throughout her life and if he didn’t cooperate she would go without him.
She wasn’t afraid of new countries and cultures and was endlessly
curious. There was nothing Janice liked better than an interesting
conversation with a friend. Janice never met a stranger. She would
introduce herself and start engaging conversations routinely with total
strangers. By the end, Janice would have found some common ground and
exchanged contact details. She was curious about everything and
everyone. This is how Janice lived her life. She was a member of the
local ladies Red Hat Society and joined in many outings filled with
friendship, love, and laughter. One of Janice’s passions was the Long
Term Care and being a beacon of positive companionship for others.
A faithful friend of the World War II 5th Bombardment Group (H)
survivors, she attended many of their reunions all over the country. Her
love for the 5th Bombardment Group (H) veterans stemmed from the fact
that her uncle Major Gerald Cass was a pilot with the group. Major Cass
is missing in action.
Later in life after recovering from alcohol addiction, Janice’s
faith in Jesus grew into devotion and truly became the center of her
life. She had a servant’s heart. Her journey through Alchoholics
Anonymous (A.A.) changed her life and fueled her to be a woman for
others. There are numerous people that she took under her wing and truly
changed their lives. Janice found her gifts and channeled them to
mentor others through drug and alcohol addiction. Janice was always
helping other people. The Serenity Prayer was special to her and the
slogans of A.A. & Al-Anon would often be her advice. Those who knew
her knew: Let Go and Let God, Easy Does It, Live and Let Live, First
Things First, and One Day at a Time.
Janice and Gary have been life members of either St. Martin’s or St.
Frances Cabrini Catholic Church. In Seguin, she taught CCD classes and
was a member of the St. Ann’s and St. Frances Cabrini Sodalities. She
was active in the Catholic Church’s Renew and Marriage Encounter
programs, and served her parish as a Eucharistic Minister.
Janice and Gary had a deep lifelong romance. Their marriage was
based on a collaborative and caring friendship. They celebrated their
64th anniversary this year.
Janice had a strong faith and she had no fear in dying. She
anxiously awaited going home to see the Lord Jesus. She died August 26,
2022.
She is survived by children Brian and wife Sheri of Menlo, KS; Gwen
and husband Todd Dobbs of Flagstaff, AZ; Andrea Taylor and Michael
Berger of Denver, CO. Janice is also survived by eight grandchildren,
who were the delight of her life: Cass (Alicia) Baalman, Coby (Megan)
Baalman, Hannah Dobbs, Tyler (Courtney) Dobbs, Kate Ostmeyer, Will
Taylor, Luke Taylor, and Nora Taylor; and seven great grandchildren
under the age of eight: Arabella, Harper, Daisy, Laken, Bonnie, Ryder,
and Tucker.
A Mass of Christian Burial is planned for Tuesday, August 30, 2022,
10:30 A.M., at the St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, Hoxie, Kansas.
Visitation will be held Monday, August 29, 2022 at the Mickey-Leopold
Funeral Home from 4:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. with family receiving
friends from 5:30 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. The Vigil and Rosary Service be
held at 7:00 P.M. following the visitation.