Obituary of janice S. anderson

Janice Summerford Anderson January 24, 1927 – October 27, 2022 In the pre-dawn hours in the dark, cool morning of Thursday October 27, 2022, God took our sweet Janice by the hand and no doubt whispered “Come with me Dear. I have so much to show you.” In that moment, her soul left pain and sickness behind. Janice was the second child of Sherman and Lillie (Goodson) Summerford. She was born at home in Crenshaw County near Luverne, Alabama. After graduating from Greenville High School, Janice and three other young ladies decided to travel further south in hopes of finding better job opportunities than those available in their small community. Loving the sugar white sands of the Gulf of Mexico, they came to Pensacola. Because of her superior mathematical abilities, and because God had a plan for her life, Janice quickly procured a job in the accounting department of A & P grocery in Brownsville. Janice rented a room at a boarding house and stayed in Pensacola while the other ladies went back home to Alabama. It was also at the A & P that Janice met and fell in love with a very handsome young man, Andy Anderson. They met in January of 1950 and were married in June of the same year. Janice was a very positive person and loved life. She lived it to the fullest. She was physically active up until Spring of this year when health issues inhibited her mobility. God and family were her top priorities. She and Andy sacrificed much to insure their four “PERFECT” children had a solid Bible-based education. They made sure all four of them graduated from Pensacola Christian. Janice made sure everyone knew how much she loved them and how proud she was of their successes. Janice was an accomplished seamstress, an excellent cook, and a trophy winning ballroom dancer. She loved puppies, kittens, babies, and bears. She had plenty of hugs and kisses for everyone she could get in her lap, except for the bears that frequented the back yard where she lived with her daughter Martha, and son-in law, Jack. The bears had to be satisfied with her admiration through the glass door. Her favorite employment was the years she spent at Greenhut Construction. She counted many of the people there as family, and they felt the same way about her. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. Even in her hours of pain, Janice always managed to show her beautiful smile. She never spoke an unkind word to or about anyone. However, there might have been a couple of occasions where her comments may have been seasoned with good old fashion southern graciousness, like “Bless her little heart.” If you are southern, you should know what that means. Janice is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Jim Summerford, and her husband, Ralph T. “Andy” Anderson. She is survived by her four children and their spouses: Martha (Jack) Davis, Ralph (Shandra) Anderson, Suzanne (Chic) Arey, and Paul (Marcella) Anderson. Her grandchildren are Mark (Kristin) Davis, Melanie Davis (Brett Gray), Lauren (Jarred) Higginbotham, Natalie (Cody) Sanchez, Benjamin Anderson, Christopher (Chelsea) Anderson, Mallory Anderson (Gabe Sunday), and Isabella Arey. Great grandchildren are Gabriel and Julian Anderson. She is also survived by two sisters: Shirley Burkett and Elizabeth Ross. We will miss her poise, her hospitality, her prayers, her bright hazel eyes, her beauty, and her words of wisdom. She was truly a legend. Memorial Service will be held on Monday, November 14, 2022 at 11:00 AM at Family-Funeral & Cremation, 5627 N. Davis Hwy, Pensacola, FL 32503.