Mary Jeanette Whitworth Byers was born Nov. 27, 1942, in Chanute to Ira Merritt and Mary Elizabeth (Gibbs) Whitworth. Jeanette grew up on the Whitworth Dairy Farm, owned by her parents, along with her older sister, Judy, and younger brother, Jerry.
Jeanette was a 1960 graduate of Chanute Senior High School, where she was a member of the Drum and Bugle Corps, playing the snare drum alongside many of her best girlfriends. During high school, she also met and fell in love with Larry Dean Byers, whom she married on June 12, 1960, at the First Christian Church in Chanute. They were lifelong members of the church. They celebrated just shy of 60 wonderful years of marriage until his death in April 2020.
Jeanette was a lifelong homemaker who poured all her love and energy into making a beautiful home and life for her three children, Mike, David and Amy. She enjoyed homekeeping, was an expert seamstress and loved cooking for her family. She was active in her children’s lives throughout their childhoods as a Cub Scout den mother, Girl Scout leader and member of the PTO.
Jeanette’s family expanded with the marriages of her children, and she welcomed Tina, Sharon and Brent into her home. She was then blessed and overjoyed with the arrival of her four grandchildren, Eric, Nathan, Preston and Molly. She and Larry never missed an opportunity to spend time with their children and grandchildren. They enjoyed traveling to support them and cheer them on in their many sporting events, activities and milestones throughout their lives.
In more recent years, her family grew once again as her grandchildren married and Stephanie, Casey and Sarah joined the family. With that came the next generation and the exciting arrival of her thtrr great-grandchildren, Bristol, Bo and Eloise. Nothing was more important to Jeanette than her family and, just as the sign reads that is proudly displayed above photos of all her family in her home, this beautiful life and family so precious to her was created “all because two people fell in love.”
Jeanette also loved spending time with her close friends, who became family to her, as well as her larger extended family. Over the years, Jeanette organized many wonderful family reunions, always serving her famous meatballs (yes, they always went first). Jeanette also dearly loved her dogs, Lucky and Oliver, and spent many hours with each of them close by her side.
Jeanette passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, surrounded by her loving family just as she wanted.
Jeanette’s amazing life will be celebrated in a private family ceremony. The family suggests memorials to the Beverly Farm Foundation at https://givebutter.com/jbyersmem. They can also be sent directly to Countryside Funeral Home to support the Beverly Farm Foundation (www.beverlyfarm.org).
