Janice Carol Bray

Janice Carol Saathoff Bray passed from this life on January 23, 2025, the daughter of Harold Anton Saathoff and Iva Jean Minnick Saathoff. Jan was born August 20, 1945 in Pampa, Texas while her father was in the Army Air Corps during World War II. When she was six weeks old her mother brought her back to Fairbury, Nebraska, and her father followed when his tour of duty ended.

She commented many times that in the summer she could be found following her dad around from building site to the coffee shop to the fire department and back again, with maybe a side stop at the lumber yard. Also during this time, she was involved with the girl scouts, beginning as a Brownie, and then a Girl Scout. Her leader was Mrs. Asendorf, and the troop and their leader stayed together until they graduated from high school. It was Mrs. Asendorf that instilled her love of all things nature.

She attended Park and Central Elementary School before graduating from Fairbury High School in 1963. She attended Fairbury Junior College before marrying Steve Rempel. To this union a daughter, Jennifer, was born in 1968, and in her words, was a true gift from God. She was remarried to Charles Bray on July 14, 1979. They enjoyed almost 39 years together before his passing in 2018.

Jan's first job was at Maddern Drug Store behind the soda fountain. Throughout her life she was employed by Aylward, Svaty, & Sherman, Attorneys, Haysville Bank, and Goodland High School athletic department, but she found her calling as an optician for Mike and Maria Keefer in Belleville, Kansas. In 2000, she and her husband Charlie moved to Claremore, Oklahoma to be closer to Jennifer. She went to work for Dr. Bruce and Cindy Clifton at Claremore Vision Center, where she continued for twenty years until her retirement in 2020.

Jan had so many hobbies. She loved reading, jewelry making, crocheting, genealogy, gardening, home interior and design, and horses. She also moved the furniture around quite often, saying if you have to dust, you may as well move the furniture. She was an avid writer. Friends and family would quite often receive hand-written cards and letters for birthdays and anniversaries. Sometimes for no reason at all you would get a poem or just her thoughts on life and family. Then there was her love of traveling. Hawaii was her favorite, and she loved to go on whale watching excursions, or sometimes just sit on the balcony and watch the ocean.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Charles Bray, and parents, Harold and Iva Jean Saathoff.

Jan is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Parham and husband Mike, granddog Koa Wahine and grandcat Willie Wildcat.

A celebration of life is planned for May at Jennifer's home in Owasso.