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Janet's Painting

Janet G has been a long time member of the First Baptist church in Stratford. She has been in attendance from the first time I ever attended and rarely every missed a service. She has been very involved in all aspects of the church, choir, Sunday school, AWANA, etc. Man years ago while in AWANA, I saw some of the artwork Janet had done. I asked her if she ever sold any of her paintings. She said yes and gave me a few to choose from. I picked out a lovely painting of a creek. I had it hanging on my wall just inside the front entry for many years. When i updated my entry way with different wall hanging, I didn't quite have a place for the painting. I stored it in my basement and couldn't pass it on to any kind of thrift store. It was too special. After Janet passed away I wanted her family to have it, however I really didn't know any of her family and they all lived far away. Then one day it hit me, this painting  needed to go in the church. Janet was such a dedicated member of First Baptist church always in attendance and helping in many ways. I could just see the painting in the church hanging on a wall. It belonged there. So, I contacted Pastor Jim M. He was the pastor in Stratford for many years and started the AWANA program. He left the church for several years and returned for Janet's last Sunday church service. She had cancer and knew her last church service she would attend. When I told Jim about the painting, he had big plans and was eager to pick up the painting. It was all in the works and God's hand was in it all. Many years ago, Janet had been asked to do one of her paintings for the baptismal background. She had agreed to do it, but just never got around to it. Jim had been trying to figure out what to do for a background since Janet had passed. He came up with the idea of taking the painting I had and blowing up a copy of it on a mural canvas for the background. In January, he took the painting with big ideas. I am happy that Janet's painting will be used and meaningful and excited to see what Jim will do. 

 March 24, 1939 – April 15, 2020 Janet Ann Gall­oway, 81, of Strat­ford, passed to her eternal home on April 15, 2020. There will be a celebration of life at a later date. Janet was born as the oldest child of Lowell and Sylvia (Paulson) Holbert on March 24, 1939, in Ames, Iowa. She grew up on a farm near Stratford and attended Iowa State University. On June 15, 1958, she married Jerry Galloway. They lived in Rockford, IL, where Jerry was a mill wright and carpenter. In 1962 they returned to farm near Stratford with Janet’s parents. Janet worked at Agri-Education for over 20 years. Jerry retired in 2002 and they moved into Stratford. Jerry passed away in 2014 and Janet moved to Athens Woods Estates in 2016, then into Stratford Specialty Care in January, 2020. Janet was very active in the First Baptist Church, teaching many classes and holding various offices. 

 
Jump to June of 2021 and I got to see the unveiling of Janet's painting made into a baptismal canvas. It turned out beautiful, as if the stream form the creek was running right into the baptismal waters. On the day of veiling, my 3 nieces and nephew of the Ferrari's were baptized. Janet's family also came to see the painting. It was a very emotional day.







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