Janice Marie Black

Janice Marie (Ehlers) Black of Richlands, North Carolina, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, went home to her heavenly Father on Monday, April 18, 2016. Jan, as she liked to be called, was born in Merrillan, Wisconsin on September 15, 1936 to William Francis Ehlers and Lois Irene Schultz, the second of three children. After graduation from Marshfield High School in 1954, Jan was employed as a bookkeeper there, where at the age of 19 she met the love of her life, Robert Edward (Ed) Black, who was employed as a teacher. After a short courtship, Jan and Ed became engaged and were married on June 9, 1956 at First Methodist Church in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Shortly thereafter, Ed, who was in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, returned to active duty, and for the next 32 years Jan was a devoted Marine Corps officer’s wife. The family soon grew to include three daughters and they moved frequently as Ed was stationed in California, Kansas, North Carolina, New York, and Pennsylvania. Throughout her life, Jan endured painful separations from her family back in Wisconsin and two deployments when Ed was sent to Vietnam, but understood the sacrifices she had to make as a military wife. Before her illness, Jan’s favorite pastimes were gardening, baking, traveling, and entertaining. She was an avid sports enthusiast and loved watching football, baseball, and basketball, cheering on her favorite teams. Her devotion as a mother and grandmother was unparalleled and her grandchildren were her life.

Jan is survived by her husband of 59 years: Col. USMCR (Ret.) Robert Edward Black of the home; daughter Cathryn Nadine (Kevin) Heigl of Jacksonville, NC; daughter Debra Alison (Raymond) Swaschnig of Shirley, NY; daughter Laura Diane Corder of Shelby, NC; and nine beloved grandchildren: Garrett, Megan, Colin, and Christa Heigl, David and Steven Swaschnig, and Elijah, Elizabeth, and Cassandra Corder. She also leaves behind a cherished sister and brother, Judith Ann Hodges of Ishpeming, Michigan, and Robert Lawrence Ehlers (Gay) of Trinidad, Colorado, and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend their appreciation to Continuum Hospice, especially Teresa, Helen, Diane, and Margaret, for all of their kindness and support and to caregiver Andrea Stiles, who was a continual source of comfort, security, and peace of mind.

Jan’s life will be celebrated through a private memorial service at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to National Jewish Health, the premier national hospital for treatment and research of respiratory diseases, via nationaljewish.org

Johnson Funeral Home of Jacksonville, North Carolina is assisting the family with final arrangements.

Condolences may be made at www.johnsonfuneralhomes.com