Obituary of Janice Hull

Coffeyville - Born and raised in the backwoods of Arkansas at the onset of the Great Depression, the odds were stacked against Janice Hull. Resilient, resourceful, tough Janice proved to be a person who would learn to adapt and overcome everything life offered her. Never one to waste anything, she always made the most of what was available. Today, when times are tough, people like to say, "when God gives you lemons, make lemonade." Janice already had the lemonade; all she asked for was some fish or squirrel to go with it for dinner. Perhaps only known to her family and friends, she was the best at practicing medicine without an actual PhD. Her healing powers ranged from simple a glass of Ginger Ale for a tummy ache or as complicated as heating a sewing needle on the stove to punch a hole on a smashed fingernail. Her toughness? She could easily defeat a copperhead with a stick or garden hoe. Even cancer tried to get the best of her in 1992 and came away empty handed. Now that she is gone, her family and friends who spent years around her will always remember her for those amazing characteristics her resiliency, her resourcefulness and her toughness. Janice Marion (Davenport) Hull passed away on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013 at St. John's Hospital in Tulsa, Okla. Mrs. Hull was born Feb. 15, 1930 at Weeks, Ark., to Jimmie and Minnie Davenport. She attended grade school in Weeks, before graduating from Heavener, Okla., High School in 1947. She married George Thomas Hull on Aug. 27, 1948 at Waldron. Mr. and Mrs. Hull made their home in Lee's Summit, Mo., until 1952 when they moved Joplin, Mo. The Hull family grew in 1951 with the addition of John Russell and again in 1956 with Charles Edward. In 1969, the Hull family moved to Coffeyville where she was a homemaker and an active member of the Central Baptist Church. She is survived by her two sons, Rusty and his wife Betty of Coffeyville; Chuck and his wife Jill of Coffeyville; a brother Myron Davenport and his wife Norma of Heavener, Okla.; two sisters, Willa Winters of Cameron, Okla., and Margie Briggs of Porum, Okla.; two sister-in-laws, Mary Thomas of Stillwater, Okla., and June Davenport of Fort Smith, Ark.; a granddaughter, Wendy and husband Shane Isle of Independence; three grandsons, Craig and wife Julie Hull of Carl Junction, Mo., Jeremy and wife Chantelle Hull of Prairie Grove, Ark., and Robby Hull of Bartlesville, Okla.; and six great-grandchildren, Taylor and Caden Isle of Independence, Madison and Cooper Hull of Prairie Grove, Ark., and Charles and Thomas Hull of Carl Junction, Mo.; and numerous neighbors and friends including Sonya and Keith Rigdon, Ethel and Kenny Griggs and Betty Rice all of Coffeyville. She was preceded in death by her husband George, her parents Jimmy and Minnie Davenport, and a brother, Dr. Leo Davenport. Janice enjoyed a variety of hobbies and activities that not only kept her busy, but also became her trademark. One could say she enjoyed gardening, but it would be an understatement. Not only did she tend a garden, Janice maintained three large gardens, each with their own signature plants. The backyard garden featured grape vines and strawberries, tomatoes and green beans, cucumbers and radishes, beets and dill. When she outgrew the backyard garden, she added two more gardens in a large field behind the backyard where larger crops flourished including corn, pumpkins, cantaloupes, squash and watermelon. With apple trees in the front yard, cherry trees in the back yard, she enjoyed picking fruit and gathering pecans from a small grove of pecan trees in the back. Her green thumb extended to a plethora of plants and flowers both inside her home and out she grew African violets, Christmas cactus, philodendrons, mums, azaleas, roses, day lilies, tulips and daffodils. Naturally, anyone with the ability to grow such a diverse variety of plants must possess another popular talent, and Janice could cook and bake with the best of them. Janice had a series of signature dishes the family looked forward to enjoying her cornbread stuffing seldom lasted long at Thanksgiving, her pickles and pickled beets were legendary and her cookies, especially the chocolate chip cookies, that possessed a hint of black walnut flavor, yet, you never actually found a black walnut in them, words cannot describe. Finally, when she wasn't gardening, cooking, fishing or tending to her flowers, Janice enjoyed the company of family. She made annual trips to Arkansas during holidays and sometimes when she felt the call of home. On many occasions, she hosted her four grandchildren for overnight stays and weekends together. There, her "Wendy Girl" enjoyed playing in the backyard on the swing, playing in the water and mud and making colored water with the mulberries from the mulberry bush. Craig enjoyed digging holes in the garden looking for worms and finding marbles, playing fire station out of the shop and building army trails in the woods next the field. Jeremy often challenged Grandma's patience by climbing as high as he could in the trees and going fishing with Grandma and Grandpa. Robby enjoyed meddling in the garage and around the barn with the tractors and lawnmowers. In her later years, Robby and Jeremy lent their talents to help maintain Grandma's house. All four grandkids can share stories of falling into the goldfish pond, having Grandma read a book to them while they sat on her lap and the gentle backrub each night at bedtime. Somewhere, Janice and George are together again, enjoying the evening breeze in lawn chairs while fishing. Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013 at Central Baptist Church with Pastor Chuck Pitts officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery. Friends may from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 4, 2013 at David W. Barnes Funeral Home in Coffeyville. Family suggests memorials to the Central Baptist Church; contributions may be left at the funeral home at mailed c/o David W. Barnes Funeral Home, 306 North Cline Road, Coffeyville, Kan., 67337.