Jeanette J. Myers

Jeanette J. Myers, 68, of Robinson, IL, passed away on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at Ridgeview Care Center in Oblong, IL.

If you asked her for a recipe, she might shrug and say, "You just add a little of this and a little of that until it feels right." And the truth is, that is how she lived her life, too. Jeanette didn't measure love in careful teaspoons. She poured it in by heart.

She was born at home on May 23, 1957, in Johnson Township in Clark County, IL. From her earliest years, she learned that taking care of things and taking care of people are often the same thing. That was the first ingredient.

Then came creativity. Jeanette ironed, sewed, and stitched as a girl, and those early threads became a lifetime of making. She crafted clothes for children, pillows for comfort, quilts and dresses that held memories inside their seams. She made all of Cricket's bridesmaids' dresses and the men's vests, too. She was proud to be a homemaker, and she made "home" into something beautiful.

Then came flavor. Jeanette's baking was an act of kindness, something she poured her heart into without even thinking about it. Her biscuits and gravy brought people to the table. Her homemade yeast rolls could soften a hard day. Her noodles, her bread, her meat loaf, all of it held the kind of love you can taste. A meal at her table was not just food. It was comfort. It was belonging. It was her telling you that you mattered.

Add a pinch of dreams. It should come as no surprise that she always imagined opening her own restaurant one day. The name wasn't decided, but the recipes were already there. Even though the restaurant never opened, she fed people everywhere she went. She spent years working in the Lincoln Trail College cafeteria, and many students remember the way she made everyone feel welcome.

Fold in her love of the simple joys. She and Junior spent years on the CB radio, her handle "Sweet Thing." She loved The Wizard of Oz so much that she could watch it on repeat with a bowl of popcorn, always cheering for Dorothy to find home again. She loved "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "My Heart Will Go On," and she cried whenever the ASPCA commercial played with Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" in the background. Her heart was soft like that.

Add a little sparkle. Jeanette loved jewelry, especially rings, and she always wore several at once. She might give one away if she felt moved. Or she might talk you into giving yours to her, grinning because she knew she was charming enough to make it happen!

Stir in faith. For several years, she was deeply involved in the Church of the Nazarene. When she was there, she was there. And if she saw you miss, she was not afraid to check on you, because showing up mattered to her.

Then add a generous heart, the most important ingredient. Jeanette loved kids, all kids, not just her own. She had a softness that recognized need. She welcomed, she listened, she understood. She took in children who needed a place to land. She gave what she had, always.

And mix it all gently with honesty and kindness. If she had something to say, she said it, but never to harm. She could tell you the truth and make you feel loved at the same time. Not everyone can do that.

This was her recipe. No exact measurements. No written instructions. Just love made visible in ordinary things done well. A love that still rises in the hearts of those she cared for.

She is survived by her children, Joshua Budds, Joe and Mandi Davis, Cricket Davis and Damien Norwick, Lacey and Mark Wittenmyer, Beth and Shawn Clements, and Leslie Miller; by her grandchildren, Allie and Jesse, Tyler, Kyrah, Tanner, Chase, Paisley, Daegon, Ronin, Grayson, Taylor and Spencer, and Emily and Mason; by her sister, Judy Ochs; by her brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Zina Lockhart; as well as several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Russell "Dean" Lockhart; her mother, Allie Mae "Sally" (Ellis) Lockhart; and by two siblings, Susie Ellis (in infancy) and Eddie Dean Lockhart.

A family-guided celebration of life service will be held from 10:00-11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 5th, at the Crawford County House of Prayer (208 E. Walnut St, Robinson, IL), with her brother, Jim Lockhart, officiating. A graveside service will then be held at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday at York Cemetery, with Celebrant Curt Goodwine officiating. Memorials may be made to her memorial fund, with checks made payable to "Goodwine Funeral Homes". Donations may also be made online at https://www.goodwinefuneralhomes.com/payments.

The Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson is assisting the family at this time.