Janet Ruth Dennis Ferrell (83) passed away peacefully with her cat at her side in her home in Canyon, Texas on February 19, 2022. This probably came as a surprise to her since it was not on her list of things to do. She started her life in Morgan County, Kentucky to Lexie Beatrice Little Dennis and Jack Waldeck Dennis on September 14, 1938. She was the oldest and bossiest of five.

She moved around Kentucky with her family and began making true lifelong friendships as early as 1st grade. She graduated from Sandy Hook High School in 1956 and attended college at Campbellsville College in Campbellsville, Kentucky. She loved her time there and took her studies seriously. She reluctantly left before completing her degree and married. She had 2 children and worked as a substitute teacher and did odd jobs. She moved all around from California to Kansas to Kentucky, again, making lifelong friends along the way. The marriage ended and she remained in Kentucky.

During her time in Kansas, she had met Bernard Walter Ferrell who spent hundreds of dollars on phone calls with her and several trips to Kentucky to woo her. They married December 27, 1966, in Garden City, Kansas. She moved to Ulysses, Kansas with him and dedicated herself to finishing her college degree. She completed her studies in education at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. She landed a great job in the Ulysses school district as an 8th grade English teacher where she taught for 29 years. She was known for her end-of-year roasts, Cub Capers Newspaper, and being the last to teach diagramming sentences. She touched many lives throughout her career and decided to stop teaching when she began to have students who were the grandchildren of her first students.

She had 2 more children. She loved all her children imperfectly and fiercely. Being a wife and mom were very important jobs to her. She raised them to appreciate education, be responsible, be independent, and always nurture faith in God. Once she graduated to the status of “Momo,” she enjoyed loving and laughing with her precious grandchildren.

She was a long-time member of First Southern Baptist Church, later called Celebration Baptist Church. She started a ladies’ study group that she taught for many years. When she left Ulysses to live with her daughters, she attended Calvary Baptist Church in Canyon, Texas and Boyd Avenue Baptist Church in Casper, Wyoming. Despite the hardships she experienced in life, she was able to push through because of her strong faith.

She loved to read and leave grades and opinions in the front covers of every book she read. She wrote comedic poetry and loved to laugh and make others laugh. She hated technology and fought tooth and nail not to have any, only for her to take over everything once she figured out how handy it was. We never wanted to challenge her to any word related game as her internal dictionary was broad, and her kids delighted in the very occasional and rare opportunity to solve a Wheel of Fortune phrase first. She loved animals unconditionally and was often accused of loving them more than her own kids. She was never without a pet, and she even talked one of her neighbors into letting her “share” their cat which eventually became hers entirely. She loved talking to friends and family whether on the phone or at a gathering. She loved sending cards and letters.

She is survived by her children, Duane (Janet) Fields of Overland Park, Kansas, Jinjer (Kevin) Mitchell of Canyon, Texas, and Jannyn (Robert) Clark of Casper, Wyoming, 6 grandchildren Ashley Fields Raschke, Lindsey Fields Sprague, Chelsea Mitchell, Morgan Clark, and Mallory Clark, 5 great-grandchildren, brother, David Dennis and sisters Jacqueline Harlow and Jami Smallwood.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 42 years Bernard Ferrell, her daughter, Diedre Fields, and her brothers, Tommy Dale Dennis and Darryl Dennis.

Funeral service will be held Thursday, February 24, 2022, at 11:00 AM at the Celebration Baptist Church in Ulysses, Kansas, with Pastor Jon Becker officiating. Interment will follow at the Lakin Cemetery in Lakin, Kansas. Visitation will be Wednesday, February 23, 2022, from 12:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Garnand Funeral Home in Ulysses. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the Ulysses Animal Shelter in care of Garnand Funeral Home, 405 W. Grant Ave., Ulysses, KS 67880. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com.