Janice E. Findley

Janice was born January 19th, 1936 near Laurel, Nebraska to Robert and Irene Campbell. At the time, her parents were tenant farmers. Janice wrote in her memoirs of the farmhouse, which did not have electricity, plumbing, or a telephone. She grew up helping with the large garden and with the animals that provided eggs, milk, and meat. In 1948, her family, which now included four siblings, purchased a farm near Stanton, Nebraska. Janice recalled that the farm house was small, but did have electricity. She continued school at Canfield and then went on to Stanton High School.

In January 1951, Janice’s family purchased and moved to a farm in Trenton, Missouri. Janice wrote about how this home was larger and had electricity and a telephone, but still no plumbing. She continued school at Trenton High School. She wrote that “those were the days of drive-in movies, fast cars, no seatbelts, and cruising up and down main street”.

After graduating from Trenton High School in 1953, Janice moved to Kansas City, Missouri with some friends to look for work. She shared a small apartment and found work at an insurance company. In March of 1954, she met John Metcalf of Lamar, Missouri. They married on July 30, 1954 in Kansas City. Tony was born May 16, 1955. After moving to Lamar, Missouri to live with John’s mother, Denise was born July 18, 1957. Janice and John divorced in 1964 and Janice moved to Lincoln, Nebraska with Tony and Denise.

After moving to Lincoln, Janice met Larry Findley. Larry had been friends with Betty Campbell, Janice’s younger sister, while in high school in Trenton, Missouri. Janice and Larry’s first date was on New Year’s Eve 1964. They began dating on the regular after Larry came by to dig Janice and the kids out of a 24” snowfall in early 1965. Janice and Larry married on July 31, 1965, at a small rural church near Trenton, Missouri. Together, they raised Tony and Denise in Lincoln.

Using what she learned while working in Kansas City, Janice began work for State Farm Insurance in Lincoln in 1965. She worked in the Credit Union most of her 30 year career. She worked in health claims for several years before retiring in 1994. While working at State Farm, Janice met many wonderful people and made many lasting friendships. She learned to golf with these friends, a hobby she enjoyed often.

Janice was talented at sewing. She learned as a child in 4H, and continued growing her skills as she got older. When her children were young, she made most of their clothes. Just before retiring, she began gathering quilting supplies and taught herself how to sew quilts. Janice also had a green thumb, thanks to growing up farming. She kept a vegetable garden and flowers at her home in Lincoln. Janice also enjoyed photography. She took some classes at Southeast Community college and built a dark room in her basement to develop her film and photographs.

When the grandchildren were young, Janice and Larry had them over often for swimming in the pool in the backyard, family dinners, sleep overs, holidays and birthdays. For many years, Janice would help the grandchildren bake and decorate sugar cookies for Christmas. In the summers, Janice and Larry would take the grandchildren camping, exploring, and dirt bike riding at the inactive rock quarry where Larry did Moto Trials. As the grandchildren grew, Janice shared her skills in sewing, gardening, photography, cooking, and quirky jokes with them.

After retiring in 1994, Janice and Larry entered a nomadic life, traveling in their RV across the West. They visited numerous National Parks and met up with friends at RV rallies. They found a favorite place near Kerrville, Texas, where they spent several winters and took their visitors into San Antonio. Later they discovered Voyager RV Resort, a retirement community in Tucson, Arizona, for a home-away-from-home in the winter months. Here they eventually purchased a house within the park where they hosted many friends and family members over the winters.

Janice and Larry were able to live together at their home in Lincoln until the summer of 2024. They moved together to a memory care home, where they were able to receive the care and help they needed. It was in memory and hospice care that Larry passed away, January 1, 2025 and Janice July 17, 2026.

Janice is preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Larry Findley, and sister Betty (Campbell) Stonacek.

Janice is survived by four siblings: Sally (Campbell) Higbe of Trenton, MO, Bob Campbell (wife Marie) of Laredo, MO, Roy Campbell of Moberly, MO, Larry Campbell (wife Joyce) of Moberly, MO; Children: Tony Metcalf (wife Diana) of Lincoln, NE, and Denise (Metcalf) Bratt of Eagle, NE; Grandchildren Tammy (Bratt) Kahle (husband Blaine) and their children Ember and Owen, Lisa (Metcalf) Sparks (husband Jesse) and their children Abigail, Jack and Molly, Shelly Metcalf and her children Payton, Layla and Micah, Heather Bratt and her children Kaden and Kiley, and grandson Jason Bratt, all of Lincoln.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, August 11th, 2026, at 10:00 AM, at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 S. 14th St., Lincoln, Nebraska.