Janalie Rose Kneeland

Janalie R. Kneeland of Canton, Maine, passed away on Friday, May 9, 2025, at the Andwell Hospice House in Auburn, Maine surrounded by family. Born in Dunlap, Kansas, on May 26, 1938, Janalie was 86 years old when she died.

Janalie actually called many places home: the plains in the Midwest, the Rocky Mountains, the Southwest desert and the coast of Maine. Starting at a young age, trains, planes and automobiles took her on many adventures. She would often visit relatives by riding a train called the Colorado Eagle. After marrying Joseph, they continued traveling. They visited Europe, drove from the East Coast of Canada

to the West Coast, and visited all but one state in the USA.

Along with traveling with her husband, Janalie also was an entrepreneur having owned and operated hotels, a bar, amusement rides/games, and establishing a well-known antique business. Together, they built a wonderful home for their two children and hosted many family gatherings with uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends from around the country.

Following Joe’s passing, Janalie retired. She then met her 2nd husband, John, they continued to travel. John was an avid and excellent golfer, so she took up golfing and shared this new found sport with him. Her favorite golf club in the bag was Big Bertha, and together they played at many courses, including a few famous ones like Pebble Beach.

Golf wasn’t the only sport she enjoyed. Bowling was a weekly team event: Big Balls or Candlepins, it didn’t matter, she was great with both. She also loved watching the Red Sox play baseball. The team from 1975 was epic to her, but Mookie Betts was her most recent favorite player. She also liked hockey, especially the Boston Bruins in the 1970s when Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito played. However, what she really loved was the local team in Portland. Attending the games was an adventure as she tended to be rather exuberant…no one dared sit next to her!

As a cancer survivor and having other health issues, Janalie proved to be incredibly strong, a fighter, and courageous. She was involved with the community as well, being a leader for the Camp Fire Girls, volunteering at the schools, sharing time with friends and playing cards. Oh, how she loved the Sunday morning concerts which featured record albums of The Statler Brothers and the Oak Ridge Boys! After a while, those concerts featured her as she learned to play the piano and organ.

Janalie is survived by her son Dennis (Annette) Desjardins and daughter Phyllis (Rene) Ouellette, as well as her grandchildren Christopher (Jill) Desjardins, Mariah Lee, and Desiree Ouellette. She has 7 great-grandchildren (Ayden, Samuel, Bella, Haylie, Addilyn, Theia, Xander) and a great-great-grandchild (Rya). Her brother Michael Heinricy and his children are also left behind. She loved her family dearly and worried constantly about their wellbeing.

Predeceased are her mother Rosalie Heinricy, father William Brannan and step-dad Ralph Heinricy, as well as her first husband Joseph H. L. Desjardins and second husband John F. Kneeland. She was fortunate to have two really great guys to walk with through this life.

A Mass of Christian Burial at St. Rose of Lima, 1 Church Street, Jay, Maine, at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Reception following at Canton Historical Society, 25 Turner St., Canton, Maine, at 12:30 p.m. Burial will occur at a later date in a private ceremony in Kansas.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks you make a donation to the American Cancer Society or your local animal shelter such as the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Lewiston, where her loyal companion Mocha was adopted