Janice Kay Dykhuizen

Janice Kay De Young Dykhuizen was born September 30^th, 1942 in Muskegon, Michigan. She was the daughter of Jay and Connie

De Young and sister to Robert (Bob now deceased) and Paul. Sister-in-law to Carol, Julie (now deceased) and Pat.

She graduated from Western Michigan Christian High School in 1960. She said that they had school pins with just the initials W.M.C.H.S. on them and when asked what they stood for, the students would reply “We milk cows here Sunday.”

She graduated from Hackley Hospital School of Nursing and started her career as a registered nurse in 1963. Later she earned her Bachelor’s degree from St Joseph’s College in Windham, Maine the same year her son, Brian, graduated from the University of Cincinnati with his bachelor’s.

During high school she worked for the J.C.Penney Company. She was refused a store credit card even though she worked for them. Credit wasn’t so easy to get then. She also worked for Hackley Hospital, Camp Geneva, Albany Medical Center, Glendale Respiratory Hospital, Private Duty nursing, and finished out her career working as a substitute nurse in the area schools.

In 1967 she married Cornelius (Neil) Dykhuizen. They were the first wedding in the newly formed and built Christ Community Reformed Church in Clifton Park, New York. The week before the wedding, one of the elders felt sorry for her and organized people to lay a cement sidewalk so she wouldn’t have to walk on wooden planks over mud in her wedding gown. Her brother was the minister of the church and her future Father-in-law was instrumental in developing the church. Both performed the ceremony. She often joked that there were more ministers than lay people at her wedding. This was in upstate New York near Schenectady and Albany. They had a Balston Lake mailing address, a Jonesville telephone number, but lived in Elnora, New York.

She had two children – Brian and Teresa. Brian was not named Cornelius after his father because he was called Neil and Grandpa who was also Cornelius was called Casey. She was afraid that the only thing left was “Corny” and she didn’t want her child called that. Teresa carries her middle name. She had a beautiful daughter-in-law, Jill and three wonderful grandchildren, Miranda Kay, Sarah Elizabeth, and Katelyn Jan.

She sang in a 500 voice “Festival of Praise” choir for 10 years. Was active in church groups, some theater groups including the Lakota Faculty and Staff Musicals. Neil and Jan enjoyed Western Square Dancing for years. She even danced until a month before Teresa Was born. She only stopped then because she broke her foot. Teresa was delivered with Jan’s foot in a cast up to the knee. Brian who was two at the time was OK with the cast as long as he could see her toes. He didn’t like Jan to put a sock on. They enjoyed traveling and camping. They spent seven weeks going all the way to Alaska, two times. They enjoyed the National Parks and helping grandchildren earn Junior Ranger Badges. She was proud of the fact that she walked across the Mackinaw Bridge.

She was known for her sewing skills. She made most of her own clothes. She was proud of making her daughter’s wedding dress, plus all of the bridal parties dresses. She did a lot of craft projects especially counted cross stitching. Her house had a whole wall of counted cross-stitched birds.

She collected three things. She collected thimbles from their travels and displayed them in cabinets some of them built by her Father and one by her Husband. The other collection was Nativity sets. Many came as gifts but she also made a lot of them. She kept a book with pictures and information on them. Last count was 261. Finally she had a collection of cross necklaces. Believing that the empty cross was an anchor, offering a haven of rest, she wore them proudly. Many of them were gifts also.

She was the leader of the prayer chains at church and attended the prayer groups, even keeping track of the prayers, and could show you many answers to prayer. She sang in the choir for many years and played in the hand bell choir. She was an encourager and many people received and encouragement card or a silent hug from her. Some of her first draft cards and leftover cards will be on a table in the hallway of the church. Please take one or more with you now as she continues to encourage all of us.

A memorial visitation will be held Monday, November 23, 2020, at West Chester Presbyterian Church 8930 Cincinnati Dayton Rd, West Chester Township, OH from 10 a.m. until the time of the Memorial Service at 11 a.m. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society 4540 Cooper Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45242.