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Janie Palinor Summers was born 5 March 1876 in West Plains, Howell County, Missouri to George Summers and Adaline Bramblett. Janie's mother died when she was 9 years old. George then married Sarah Frances Hopkins who raised Adaline's children along with her own children.
Jamie aspired to be a nurse when she became a young adult, however, her stepmother, Sarah told her that being a nurse was not an honorable profession (Nurses were considered "loose"). Janie wanted to be a nurse but she didn't want her reputation ruined. She went to her father and he said if she really wanted to be a nurse she would have to get married before she bacame a nurse. George said that their neighbors down the road, Zachery Dickinson was very ill and needed someone to tend to him, he also 2 unmarried sons. Janie asked Sarah if she could care for Zachery Dickinson. Sarah gave her approval.
Now Janie was a very small woman. When she went to the Dickinson's took over! Zackary was very sick and was coughing alot. Janie immediately thought it was consumption (turburcoulosis).
She took Zackary out side to sit in the sun and completly cleaned and sterlized his room. She washed the curtains, walls, floor, the celiing, rewashed all his clothes and bedding. Nothing in the room was safe from Janie's cleaning. Then she proceeded to clean up zackary and get clean clothe on him.
Next was the rest of the house. She had it mostly done before the boys (John and James) came home after working. Since their father was so sick, they took over his chores as well, so, they were very tired and hungry. When theuy got home, this little bitty woman told them they were not comming into the house until they were clean and had clean clothes on. She gave them some clothes and sent them on their way. The boys weren't too happy about this. When they were done, Janie had the table set and served everyone chicken soup that she had cooking on the stove all day. She made it fresh because she was afraid the food might be contaminated with the comsumption.
The next day she threw out all the food and sent the boys to town to get "safe" food. The boys grumbled alot, but, did as they were instructed. After 5-6 days of taking charge, cleaning and caring for zackary, he started to get better. She made a nice meal for supper, set the table nice, and the boys drove her home. When the boys returned home, Zackary said "I sure hope to hell I didn't raise a couple of idiots--don't let that woman get away!" Within 2 weeks, both boys proposed to her. She chose John Robert. Even though he was more shy than James, He had a quiet sense of humor that made her laugh. Janie never did become a nurse, however, her chicken soup was famous in the family and family stories relatre that it could cure about anything. Besides that, it was really good too.
After Janie and John were married and started their family, they would pack up their family and go to Arkansas for the summer to visit family. There was a little cabin they stayed in. It was a bit drafty because it didn't have any windows, but, since it was summer, they really didn't mind.
On their trips to Arkansas, John and his brother would catch wild baby pigs so they could take them back to missouri, fatten them up and sell for a profit. Family stories relate that one day John and his brother left to hunt for wild pigs, leaving Janie and the baby home alone. The men were suppose to be home early.As dark approached, Janie beacme worried, she needed to get water from the pump outside and was afraid to leave the baby alone. She had just laid the baby down. After the baby went to sleep she deceided to get the water. as she was headed back to the house, a panther rushed past her. she dropped her water and ran to the house. Janie confronted the panther with her broom. She tried to scare the panther away, then the baby woke up and began to cry. The panther took the baby and jumped through the window. It is possible that the child's name was Audra.
Janie would wear large aprons with large pockets or moo moo's with large pockets she also wore the old fashioned lace up boots. She was a sweet grandma, but, demanded to be obeyed when she told kids or grandkids to do something . It was stated that she had the "fastest backhand in the west". Janie usually kept things she needed in the pockets of her apron. One of the things she kept there was her chewing tabacco. When the grand kids found out about it, she told them it was her medicine and she took it every day. Grandma Opal bought it for her. I remember Grandma Opal stating that Janie used chewing tabacco, however, she didn't spit it, she swallowed because it wasn't lady like.
Janie died 24 May 1971 in Denver, Denver Colorado