JANET LEA (McCOMBS) LAVERY

VeteranJanet Lavery

Janet Lea McCombs Lavery, 62, of Pinellas Park, Fla., formerly of Peoria, died at 7:20 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, 2004, at Tampa General Hospital in David Island, Fla.

She was born Aug. 18, 1941, in Rushville, a daughter of Leland and Wilma Bartlett McCombs. She married William Lavery on April 1, 1978, in Hanna City. He survives.

Also surviving are her mother of Rushville; four daughters, Lisa (and Jon) Kukuk of Peoria, Janette Meers of Westville, Stephanie (and Phil) Domingo of Maize, Kan., and Karen (and Richard) Houck of Wichita, Kan.; one son, Kenneth (and Kimberly) Meers of Lake Havasu, Ariz.; one stepson, John (and Renee) Lavery of Lombard; one stepdaughter, Ruth (and Richard) Lentz of Lemont; 29 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; five sisters, Jerris (and Robert) Oest and Joy (and Todd) Mendenhall, both of Havana, Jennifer (and Larry) Volk of Mount Sterling, Jackie (and Dan) Cogswell of Chapin and Julia (and Sam) Gregory of Chicago; and six brothers, James (and Karen) McCombs, Jan McCombs, and Joel (and Jean) McCombs, all of Rushville, Jon (and Philda) McCombs of Astoria, Jerry (and Sharon) McCombs of Galax, Va., and Jeffrey (and Mary Jo) McCombs of St. Petersburg, Fla.

She was preceded in death by her father.

She was a Navy veteran.

She was a Peoria County sheriff's deputy for many years. She last worked at the Pontiac Correctional Center, retiring as a correctional officer with a rank of lieutenant.

She obtained a degree in law enforcement from Western Illinois University, where she served as president/secretary of the Veterans Club.

She served as a Brownie Scout leader when her daughters were young. She served as a mentor and leader of the Sheriff's Explorer Post and the Blue Knights Club, both in Peoria. She was a member of the Illinois Police Association and the Fraternal Order of Police 157 Peoria County Sheriff's Office.

She was a member of Sugar Grove United Methodist Church in Rushville and St. Marks United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg.

Services were held Sunday at Wilton Mortuary with Bill Smith officiating. Cremation followed the services.

Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, the Peoria Police Benevolent Association or to Sugar Grove United Methodist Church.

From the Peoria Journal Star.

 

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 3/3/2004

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