Janice M. Wetherell

Janice M. Wetherell joined her beloved parents, Robert and Marlene Gripentrog, on July 27, 2026. She concluded a three year long battle with cancer at her home in Imperial, Missouri, in the loving presence of her husband and grandchildren.

Her family will remember the way she tended to the people she loved as diligently as her beloved garden. She showed up for life's biggest moments, but just as importantly, she created them. Whether it was a 4th of July water balloon fight, over-the-top Christmas pajamas, or making sure everyone who gathered for Christmas signed the family tablecloth, Janice had a gift for creating traditions that will live on after her. There was nothing she loved more than a house full of her family laughing together.

If you knew Janice, you knew her laugh. It’s been said it could carry from one end of a Schnucks store to the other and usually meant she was joking with a coworker, friend, or family member. It was as unmistakable, it was infectious, and it made you smile. She believed life was meant to be enjoyed and she made sure the people around her did just that.

Everyone was wanted and welcomed from the moment they met Janice. Friends quickly became family, and no one was meant to feel like an outsider. If someone needed encouragement, she showed up. If they were facing hard times, she reminded them they were strong enough to make it through. She had a gift for making difficult moments a little lighter, usually involving laughter.

Her early life shaped how she nurtured those around her. Born in Bay City, Michigan, in 1961, she grew up in a large German family where holidays and family gatherings filled homes with stories, laughter, and loving teasing, often led by her father. She never stopped loving her hometown, filling her home with lighthouses, seagulls, and reminders of the Great Lakes.

Janice spent more than 30 years with Schnucks and was an active member of her union, UFCW Local 655. She also enjoyed participating in political campaigns and community efforts that she believed would make life better for others. Whether she was caring for her flowers, supporting her community, or bringing people together, she spent her life growing a beautiful world around her.

Janice's love and kindness live on through her devoted husband of 45 years, Barry M. Wetherell; her children, Brandi, Derek and Elyse, Michael and Angie, and Barry Jr.; her grandchildren, Caleb, Skylar, Gavin, Tavia, Zoey, and Landon; her siblings, David and family, and Diane and family; and the many extended family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors whose lives were made better through knowing her. She was preceded by her granddaughter Lillianna.