Visitation
Visitation
Celebration of Life
Interment
Obituary of Janet Kay Byers
Life of Janet Kay (Libby) Byers
Born December 23, 1947 in Vincennes, Indiana to Martha Ann (Meyer) Libby and Warren Richard Libby. The second of 4 children- Sisters Mary Sue (1944) and Patricia Ann (1948), and brother David Bruce (1955).
Janet lived on 7th St., then 1215 State St., then to 1521 Burnett Lane (1955).
Janet went to grade school at Washington Grade school, Junior High at Vincennes Jr. High, then to Lincoln High School in Vincennes graduating in 1966.
As a 5-yr. old she was in ballet, and again in Jr. High. She was a Girl Scout from Brownies through graduation from High School. She took sewing and cooking in 4H in Jr. High. She worked as a baby sitter in the neighborhood and for family friends in Jr. High and High School.
She was a member of Lincoln High School band playing the cornet in concert and marching band. She went to the New York World’s Fair with the Band in 1964 and they went to Radio City Music Hall and saw Battle of the Bulge movie while there. She played the piano as a fun activity from Jr. High on.
Janet attended Vincennes University from 1966 to 1968 in general studies. While at VU, she worked for the DAR (Daughters of American Revolution) at the William Henry Harrison Mansion in the gift shop. She also started singing in the choir at 1st United Methodist Church until moving to Terre Haute in 1973. She sang in the choir at church in Terre Haute.
In 1968 after 2 years at VU, she worked at the Satelite Drive-In Restaurant as a cook for the summer, then started to work at Gimbel Bonds (Clothing, furniture, and houseware store) in the office doing general office work. (1968 thru 1970).
In Dec of 1969, she was Mary in the play “No Room in the Inn Group” at 1st United Methodist Church.
In 1969, met Bill Byers at 1st United Methodist Church in the JOY (Just Older Youth) Sunday School class. They started dating in October. They started dating after someone dropped something on the floor and both of them reached for it and the teacher, Bob Kixmiller, gave them a hard time.
On December 28, Bill asked her to marry him. They were married at 1st Methodist Church on April 18, 1970.
They moved into an apartment on 9th St. They moved to a mobile home on Washington St.
On November 11, 1970, she gave birth to Karen Sue Byers (8 lbs. 14 oz. and 23 ½ inches long).
After the birth of Karen, they moved to a house on Busseron Street.
She and Bill started taking square dancing lessons, after Karen was born until they moved to Terre Haute in 1973.
In 1972, they bought a house at 1172 State St.
On November 15, 1973, she gave birth to Donna Jean Byers (7 lbs. 8 oz. and 21 inches long). While Donna was still in the hospital, they moved to Terre Haute, Indiana due to Bill being transferred with Public Service.
They moved to 8650 Rockville Rd, Indianapolis in August 1975 sue to Bill taking a job as a programmer trainee in Plainfield, Indiana with Public Service.
In August 1978, they moved to 3328 Tansel Rd. in order to get more space. This house had 4 bedrooms.
On January 9, 1983, she gave birth to Angela Faye Byers (7 lbs. 2 oz. and 20 inches long).
None of her child births were normal. Karen never dropped, so they had to use forceps to help coming out, but otherwise she was fine. The birth of Donna was fine, but she couldn’t keep anything down, so she was in the hospital for 9 days. (They found out that since Janet was taking iron during the pregnancy, baby Donna needed iron). The birth of Angela was forced early, because Janet got Eclampsia that is passed from mother to baby and back and the only cure was the birth, so Janet went into the hospital 3 weeks early and labor was induced. They started the Pitocin on Sunday evening, but stopped at 11:00. They restarted at 5:00 the next morning. She delivered so fast that they had to rush her into delivery and wasn’t even given an epidural. Janet’s uterus turned inside out which caused a lot of bleeding. She ended up being given 5 pints if blood over the next day and ½. (After this birth, Janet decided to start giving blood, when Bill did, and gave 89 pints over the next few years).
She was an Avon representative in 1981 and 1982.
She attended Ivy Tech Studying to be library assistant from 1983 through 1985. After graduating, she worked for IPS School 108 in the library as a media assistant from 1986 through 1994.
She worked doing a data entry for the yellow shirts at IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) from 2000 through 2003.
She sang in the choir at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church from 1976 to 2014. She sang in the Garden City Mother Singers from 1980 through 1985.
She was an assistant Girl Scout leader from 1982 through 1984. In 1983, she was the Girl Scout cookie chairman. She was on the Advisory Board of the Wayne Township 4H from 1992 through 1994.
Janet had breast cancer surgery in January 2016. Following 25 sessions of radiation, she was pronounced cancer free.
Janet passed away on January 6, 2019.