Janet Marie Naughtin, 73, of Taylor passed away on Saturday, October 16, 2021, at the Kearney Regional Medical Center.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 22, 2021, at the Sacred Heart Cathodic Church in Burwell. Father Scott Harter, Father Mark Maresh and Deacon Jim Naughtin will be the Celebrants. Janet will be laid to rest in the Taylor Cemetery. A luncheon will follow at the Loup County Fair Building. Visitation will be held at the Church on Thursday from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. The Rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. along with Burial Honors by the Nebraska Nurses Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers memorials are suggested to the Burwell Sacred Heart Catholic Church or the Loup County Fair Board. Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Janet was born on July 17, 1948, to George and Fern “Cunningham” Rankin in Spalding, Nebraska; the youngest of four children. She loved and admired her siblings and had many great stories of all their adventures and especially enjoyed the trips she was able to take with her brother, Dick. Janet grew up in the Leo Valley, south of Spalding, and attended Leo Valley School District #16 until the 8th grade. Janet was raised as a member of the First Presbyterian Church. It was here that she found her love of music and gained her deep faith. In her youth, Janet sang at church services, weddings, graduations, and school music contests. She attended Spalding High School and graduated as the class Valedictorian in 1966.
Following graduation, she had many scholarship offers to pursue music and drama, but she followed the advice of her father, and attended The Lincoln Public School of Practical Nursing graduating with her LPN degree in 1968. Janet’s dedication and service for others led her to healthcare positions in Minot, North Dakota, Albion, Bassett, Ord, Sargent, and Burwell. Janet furthered her education by obtaining her LPN-C and X-Ray Technician licenses. She truly loved her patients and co-workers, and often commented that in 53 years never was there a day that she did not enjoy her work. Many nights over the years, she prayed for her patients, and made house calls to check on them.
At the St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Spalding, in August of 1969, Janet married Ed Naughtin. They had four children, Todd, Teresa, Katie, and Tom. Janet and her family moved often over the years. In 1986, while living in Valentine, Janet began RCIA classes and was confirmed into the Catholic Church. This transition started her on the path of a wonderful faith journey. One that would allow her to share her faith with so many she met along the way; including her trips to Rome and St. Lucia.
Janet had very fond memories of her time living in the Rose Community and her work there as the Postmaster. Janet’s talent for music and drama was put to use many times over, as she and her friends put on plays, Hee-Haw productions, Vaudeville shows, and musicals. She had a way of bringing communities and people together everywhere she went. Janet lived in Taylor, Nebraska for 27 years. It is here that her children graduated high school, and she often led hilarious pep rally skits, and raised money for school projects with dinner theater productions. She was an active member of the Loup County Fair Board and Burwell Sacred Heart Catholic Church Parish Council. In the past, Janet really enjoyed serving as a CCD teacher, church choir director, Women’s Bible study leader, and as Grand Island Diocese DCCW President.
Outside of her family and faith she also had a love for Ford Mustangs, Tom Selleck, the TV shows; Murder She Wrote, The Golden Girls, Jeopardy and Gunsmoke. John Wayne Westerns, playing cards and board games, and working puzzles. Other favorites were coffee, popcorn, steak, and margaritas. She loved dancing, traveling, sewing, gardening, writing funny poems, and watching her grandkids school events. Hate was a strong word for Janet, but at the top of the list were snakes and ketchup, the rest in life, she dealt with. To know Janet was to love her. She had a wonderful laugh and a happy go lucky attitude. She could make doing simple chores, fun! When you were with her, you never had to do anything special to earn her love, or respect, or care, she gave it to you freely; this was her gift. She leaves a true legacy of faith, joy, and love.
Janet is survived by her children, Todd Naughtin (Tina) of Spalding, Teresa Young (Zane) of Sargent, Katie Meredith (Alex) of Nebraska City, and Tom Naughtin (Kari Munn) of Primrose; thirteen grandchildren, Wyatt, Ethan and Shelby Naughtin, Quincy Young (Liza), Quade Young, Clare Young, Queston Young, Aiden Postany, Addison Postany, Andi Wietzki, Ansley Meredith, Haley Munn and Kaul Naughtin; two great-grandchildren, Vivian and Jaxson Young; a brother, Richard Rankin (Joan) of Spalding; a sister-in-law, Lea Rankin of Spalding; many other family and friends; and especially all her nieces and nephews whom she loved and cared about.
Janet was preceded in death by her parents, George and Fern Rankin; a brother, Gene Rankin; a sister, LaVon Glessinger (Bill “Cactus”); and granddaughter, Carrie Young.
