Janice Lorraine Crees Oakley, a daughter of Milton Crees and Ethel Randolph Crees, was born July 18, 1940, at her parent’s home in rural Guthrie County, IA. She died June 20, 2021, at the Exira Care Center in Exira, IA, after a 10-month courageous battle with kidney cancer.
Janice attended Hamlin rural schools and was a member of the Audubon High School Class of 1958.
She married Allen L. Oakley on Sept. 25, 1957, at the First Christian Church in Audubon, IA. To this union, three sons were born: Allen Jr., Jeff and Jon. The couple lived in Kentucky, Germany, and North Carolina. After Allen retired from the Army, the family then moved to Audubon, IA, in 1976 where she lived until her passing.
Janice was a bookkeeper for several years for a Western Auto store in Fayetteville, NC, then attended cosmetology school and worked in a beauty shop before moving back to Iowa. She then worked at the Ben Franklin Store in Audubon until it closed. She then babysat her grandchildren until they were older.
Janice was an avid reader and had boxes and boxes of books that she read and then shared with others. She loved the look, feel and smell of a book. She also spent endless hours in her “thread shed” sewing quilts and other items. For many years, she made numerous lap quilts for the Veterans’ Home in Omaha.
During the last 10 years, she went on several bus tours and for the last few years she enjoyed traveling the United States with “her boys.” Her goal was to visit every state, but with the COVID lockdown nationwide in 2020, she was five states short of reaching that goal.
Her family was her pride and joy and she relished the time she was able to spend with them. The time she spent babysitting her grandchildren as they grew up was precious to her.
Janice was a lifetime member of the American Legion and the VFW Ladies’ Auxiliaries in Audubon, and held many offices in both organizations. For many years, she kept a history of who performed various duties at local veteran’s funerals. She and Allen also spent many years repairing damaged flags from Audubon’s Avenue of Flags, and several times was honored to have placed the poppy wreath on the veteran’s monument as part of Audubon’s Memorial Day services. She was also a board member of the Good Neighbor Center.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Allen; a son, Allen Jr.; her parents; a brother, Lloyd; sisters: Mary and Ollie Huitt, Ethel (Ramona) and Albert Daggett, Norma and Bill Taggert, Jackie and Dan Keasey; and Barb and Kenny Harter; brothers-in-law: Merle Blake, Paul Wahlert, Lloyd Oakley, Howard Oakley, James and Mary Oakley, George and Lois Oakley, and sisters-in-law: Norma and Paul Norris, and Dorothy and Frank Schmidt.
Survivors include sons: Jeff Oakley of Audubon, and Jon Oakley of Waukee; grandchildren, Regan Oakley and fiancé Alyssa Sorensen of Slater, Corey and Aleshia of Newell, and Morgan Oakley of Audubon; daughter-in-law Deb Oakley of Audubon; sisters, Geneva Oakley and Lois and Larry Thygesen, of Audubon; Delores Wahlert of Exira; Ruby Blake of Ankeny, and Shirley Keasey and Dan Pemble of Scranton; and family friend, Brad Johnson.
A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held On Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 10:30 A.M. at the First Methodist Church in Audubon, Iowa with Pastor Kathy Kluis officiating. Inurnment will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Audubon. The family will greet friends on Wednesday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon. Honorary casket bearers will be her sons and grandchildren: Jeff Oakley, Jon Oakley, Regan Oakley, Corey Oakley and Morgan Oakley.
