Janella “Jan” Ruth Altman

Janella “Jan” Ruth Altman, 81, of Clarendon, Texas died on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 in Brenham, Texas.

Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, November 10,

2012 at the First United Methodist Church of Clarendon, Texas with the Rev. Lloyd Stice, officiating.

Jan will be laid to rest at Rowe Cemetery in Hedley, Texas earlier in the morning.

Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon, Texas.

The family will visit with family and friends from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Friday November 9, 2012 at Robertson Funeral Directors, 212 S. Sully in Clarendon.

Janella “Jan” Ruth Altman, 81, of Clarendon, Texas died on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 in Brenham, Texas.

Memorial Services were held on Saturday, November 10,2012 at the First United Methodist Church of Clarendon, Texas with the Rev. Lloyd Stice, officiating.

Jan was be laid to rest at Rowe Cemetery in Hedley, Texas earlier that morning.

Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon, Texas.

She was born on December 23, 1930, in Tell, Texas to Gus and Laura Woods.

Jan was very active in her church at an early age. At the age of 15 years old Jan started leading singing with her sister, Carol Jean, playing the piano at the Methodist Church in Tell, Texas. Thru the years she has also led singing at the United Methodist Church in Hedley, Texas, the Nazarene Church in Clarendon, Texas, and here at the United Methodist Church in Clarendon. She taught the 4 and 5 year old Sunday school class at Hedley and at Clarendon. Jan was also involved in the Missionary Services Group and at Bible Study Groups.

Jan married Winfred Donald “Don” Altman on March 15, 1952, at her parent’s home in Tell, Texas. They were married for 39 years until Don’s death in 1991. After Don and Jan married they moved to Hedley, Texas where they started a family. In 1958 Don and Jan moved to Clarendon, Texas. Jan lived in Clarendon until 2012 when she went to live in Brenham, Texas to be close to her daughter, Donna.

Jan was a Red Hatter and enjoyed the outings with her other Red Hatters. Jan also took bus tours all over the US. On one of her bus tours to Branson she got a photo of Mel Trellis and herself. She was very proud to say she got to hug someone famous. But her most precious friends are her church family. That was the one thing she missed the most after her move to Brenham. Jan enjoyed singing, church work, and spent many years at her sewing machine. Jan’s favorite ending to a conversation over the phone with either her grandchildren or someone else’s child was “Swak-Ems” and even when she kissed them this was her last parting comment before they left.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Don Altman in 1991, and her parents Gus and Laura Woods. She was the last surviving sibling with one brother Dual Woods, and three sisters Alvalee Creech, Becky Boyd, and Carol Jean Turner.

She is survived by her three daughters: Teresa DeMatos and husband Mike of Amarillo, Texas, Donna May and husband David of Brenham, Texas, Sherrie Stone and husband Albert of Memphis, Texas. Five granddaughters: Regina Moore, Janet Smith, and Renee Taylor all of Amarillo, Texas. Nicole Royall, and Patricia Vasquez of Brenham, Texas. Five grandsons: Darren May of Brenham, Texas, Randall Johnson of Austin, Texas, Robert Johnson of Graham, Texas, Jarad Stone and Shelby Stone of Amarillo, Texas. She also has 20 great-grandchildren.