Obituary for Janice Marie Gordon Grice
Janice Marie Gordon Grice was born August 24,1943 in Guymon, OK, to Larry and Lucile (DeWolfe) Gordon. Janice left Canyon, TX, and went to walk those streets of gold on October 18, 2020. She was surrounded by family singing her favorite old hymns.
Funeral services will be at 5:00 P.M. on Friday, October 23, 2020 at Brooks Chapel in Canyon. She will be buried alongside her husband, Rance, in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Hardesty, Oklahoma in a private graveside service.
Janice had two brothers, Larry Don and Billy Ray, and one sister, Kathy Lynn. When Janice was in the 6th grade, Larry and Lucile both came to know the Lord and accepted Jesus as their Savior. She referred to this moment as a very pivotal point in her life. The change she saw in their lives inspired her to seek the Lord for herself and she soon became a child of the King as well.
She graduated from Goodwell High School and attended Oklahoma Panhandle State University. In her high school years, she met a handsome cowboy named Rance Grice, whom she later married on August 5, 1961. To this union were born nine children, Faye Lynn, Mary Marie, Mark Lee, David Luke, Sarah Lavon, Hannah Fern, Esther Sue, John Rance, and Paul Jeremiah.
Janice lived a life of both adventure and hardship like few have experienced or can imagine. Throughout the course of her life many have witnessed how strong Janice was both in her faith and in her ability to raise her family as well as work alongside her husband. She was always very quick to lend a hand to a neighbor in need, say a prayer or cook a meal. Janice had a big heart and found joy in servitude. She had an ornery streak and thoroughly enjoyed a good laugh. It seemed she was always a care giver whether it was her own children, her parents or the elderly in the community. Gardening was always a huge part of her summers, and she often had a truck patch. There was always surplus that she blessed the neighbors with until they started locking their doors! Canning and preserving the produce was something she did with pride and skill.
She told of a time when she was helping Dad load square bales onto a trailer. They were stacked about 10 high when she lost her balance and fell face down between the pickup and trailer. She giggled, “It took a bit of effort to get un-wedged and back to work.” For a season of life, they lived in a school bus into which Rance had designed and built in living quarters. That was a cold Colorado winter! While living and working near Saguache, she even baked biscuits on top of the wood burning stove and did laundry for a family of 7 in a wringer washer.
Janice was an excellent seamstress. She made western shirts and several of her children remember wearing outfits she had sewn for them. Her plan to make each of her children a quilt got put on hold while a lot of living was going on. In later years when she could concentrate on sewing instead of mending, she spent a lot of time quilting again. She utilized donated fabric and made many blankets for the crisis pregnancy center. Janice created many beautiful pieces that are now enjoyed by family and was able to finish her goal of creating a quilt for each of her children.
Janice was an inspiration to many, and even during these last few challenging years she has taken up new hobbies, tried new things, and has exhibited bravery and independence. The desire of her heart was for each of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to know she loved them and for them to know the Lord as their Savior. Among her last words were how much she loved her children and their families.
Janice was preceded in death by her parents, Larry and Lucile Gordon, husband Rance Grice, and her brother Billy Gordon. She is survived by her children: Faye (Oneman) Lanham of Rio Rancho, NM, Mary (Moe) Bond of Monte Vista, CO, Mark (Denise) Grice of Apache, OK, Luke Grice of Norman, OK, Sarah (Burl) Wingo of Canyon, TX, Hannah (Roy Young) Grice of Griggs, OK, Esther (Steve) Miller of Felt, OK, John (Kayla) Grice of Clayton, NM, Paul (LaSha’ Kelley) Grice of Wagoner, OK, 24 grandchildren: Jessica, Michael, Steven, Shelley, Brian, Kyle, Kelcee, Aja, Wylie, Roy, Samuel, Jenny, Sammie, Jim, Kari, Rebekah, Ryan, Lovina, Jacquelyn, Cody, Sniper, Apixious, Copper and Addelyn, 13 great-grandchildren with another due any day, one great great grandchild, brother Larry Don, sister Kathy and many extended family members.
Memorial donations may be made to one of Janice’s loved organizations: Samaritan’s Purse, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, World Challenge or Harrington Cancer Cente
Funeral services will be at 5:00 P.M. on Friday, October 23, 2020 at Brooks Chapel in Canyon. She will be buried alongside her husband, Rance, in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Hardesty, Oklahoma in a private graveside service.
Janice had two brothers, Larry Don and Billy Ray, and one sister, Kathy Lynn. When Janice was in the 6th grade, Larry and Lucile both came to know the Lord and accepted Jesus as their Savior. She referred to this moment as a very pivotal point in her life. The change she saw in their lives inspired her to seek the Lord for herself and she soon became a child of the King as well.
She graduated from Goodwell High School and attended Oklahoma Panhandle State University. In her high school years, she met a handsome cowboy named Rance Grice, whom she later married on August 5, 1961. To this union were born nine children, Faye Lynn, Mary Marie, Mark Lee, David Luke, Sarah Lavon, Hannah Fern, Esther Sue, John Rance, and Paul Jeremiah.
Janice lived a life of both adventure and hardship like few have experienced or can imagine. Throughout the course of her life many have witnessed how strong Janice was both in her faith and in her ability to raise her family as well as work alongside her husband. She was always very quick to lend a hand to a neighbor in need, say a prayer or cook a meal. Janice had a big heart and found joy in servitude. She had an ornery streak and thoroughly enjoyed a good laugh. It seemed she was always a care giver whether it was her own children, her parents or the elderly in the community. Gardening was always a huge part of her summers, and she often had a truck patch. There was always surplus that she blessed the neighbors with until they started locking their doors! Canning and preserving the produce was something she did with pride and skill.
She told of a time when she was helping Dad load square bales onto a trailer. They were stacked about 10 high when she lost her balance and fell face down between the pickup and trailer. She giggled, “It took a bit of effort to get un-wedged and back to work.” For a season of life, they lived in a school bus into which Rance had designed and built in living quarters. That was a cold Colorado winter! While living and working near Saguache, she even baked biscuits on top of the wood burning stove and did laundry for a family of 7 in a wringer washer.
Janice was an excellent seamstress. She made western shirts and several of her children remember wearing outfits she had sewn for them. Her plan to make each of her children a quilt got put on hold while a lot of living was going on. In later years when she could concentrate on sewing instead of mending, she spent a lot of time quilting again. She utilized donated fabric and made many blankets for the crisis pregnancy center. Janice created many beautiful pieces that are now enjoyed by family and was able to finish her goal of creating a quilt for each of her children.
Janice was an inspiration to many, and even during these last few challenging years she has taken up new hobbies, tried new things, and has exhibited bravery and independence. The desire of her heart was for each of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to know she loved them and for them to know the Lord as their Savior. Among her last words were how much she loved her children and their families.
Janice was preceded in death by her parents, Larry and Lucile Gordon, husband Rance Grice, and her brother Billy Gordon. She is survived by her children: Faye (Oneman) Lanham of Rio Rancho, NM, Mary (Moe) Bond of Monte Vista, CO, Mark (Denise) Grice of Apache, OK, Luke Grice of Norman, OK, Sarah (Burl) Wingo of Canyon, TX, Hannah (Roy Young) Grice of Griggs, OK, Esther (Steve) Miller of Felt, OK, John (Kayla) Grice of Clayton, NM, Paul (LaSha’ Kelley) Grice of Wagoner, OK, 24 grandchildren: Jessica, Michael, Steven, Shelley, Brian, Kyle, Kelcee, Aja, Wylie, Roy, Samuel, Jenny, Sammie, Jim, Kari, Rebekah, Ryan, Lovina, Jacquelyn, Cody, Sniper, Apixious, Copper and Addelyn, 13 great-grandchildren with another due any day, one great great grandchild, brother Larry Don, sister Kathy and many extended family members.
Memorial donations may be made to one of Janice’s loved organizations: Samaritan’s Purse, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, World Challenge or Harrington Cancer Cente