Janet DeEtte Rogers

Janet Molloy Rogers passed from this earth on 6/14/2023. 

Janet DeEtte Molloy was born on 2/2/1948 in Decatur, Illinois to Dorothy June Hahn Molloy and John (Jack) Joseph Molloy. She was the oldest child joined by two sisters, Sandy and Jill. Janet was a graduate of MacArthur High School - class of 1966. She married Keith Rogers in 1966 and had four children that would go on to be the love and focus of her life. Kelly Jill (1967); Julie DeEtte (1969); Jack Martin (1972); and Nicole Christine (1978).  

Janet was first and foremost a strong and faithful Christian. She taught her children to love and trust God no matter what struggles life brought. Janet was a wonderful decorator, cook, hostess and artist. She loved to paint and always had some sort of craft project going on. She took great pride in her home making it a beautiful and welcome place for family and friends. Janet was also highly intelligent and well read. She was particularly interested in the medical field and became even more so after the cancer diagnosis of her oldest daughter, Kelly. Eventually she went back to school and earned her license to become a respiratory therapist. It was a natural fit, as Janet loved to be a caregiver and was a constant advocate for her patients. She would often stay long after her shift was over to check on a patient or give their family comfort. She had her fathers love for movies - and especially musicals, she passed this on to her kids and her grandkids. Not very many 4 year olds know every word to the Sammy Davis Jr song, “The Candy Man” - but Janet’s grandkids did!  She suffered a terrible loss when her oldest child Kelly was killed at the age of 27, it changed her along with the rest of the family. But she exhibited so much strength, resiliency, faith and forgiveness that would influence the rest of her family forever. Janet was fiercely stubborn and loyal to a fault. She was brutally honest and you certainly always knew where you stood with her. 

She went on to have 9 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. She loved kids so much and also had a huge heart for older people. She passed this love on to her children and often took them to nursing homes to visit people that were total strangers - but had no one else. She was open minded before it was even a thing   - and open hearted as well. She taught her children to be forgiving and non judgmental. She also loved sports and shared this love with her grandsons and often impressed them with her knowledge of players and stats!  She was beautiful, hilarious and quirky. But also so endearing and constantly rooting for the underdog and  always sought out whoever needed a friend. 

As the years progressed she developed dementia and became less and less independent. She spent the last 4 years of her life In Indianapolis in a senior living center and eventually a memory care facility. Her life was much richer during this time thanks to  her sisters Jill snd Sandy and her brother-in -law Tom. They gave her so much love and joy and she had the great blessing of knowing she was loved and cared for. 

Janet is survived by her children; Julie Rogers Castro; Jack Rogers ; Nikki Rogers Sparks; son-in-law Greg Sparks. Grandchildren: Katy, James, Madison, Jackson, Thomas, Isabella, William, Sophia and Cameron. Great grandchildren: Brooklyn, Andrew, Jake and Graham. Sisters and brother-in-law; Sandy Engle and Jill and Tom Cooke and many nieces and nephews that loved her very much. She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter Kelly and her son-in-law Abram. 

Services will be held at Sunnyside Road Church of Christ in Decatur, IL on Saturday June 24th at 11AM. The family wishes to thank Wyndmoor of Castleton Senior Living and Riverwalk Village in Indianapolis for the love and compassion they showed her and the rest of the family.