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Light a Candle
Janie Louise Griffin was born in Kilgore, Texas, February 5th 1945 to Frank and Myrtle Melton. Janie was the 14th of 15 children. I'm certain her parents were pretty exhausted by the time she arrived, haha. She is survived by two brothers, Virgil Melton and J.R. Melton and two sisters, Nell French and Linda Cain.
Janie's life changed greatly in Monahans, Texas around September 10th, 1964. The love of her life, Jackie Lee Griffin came home for a funeral leave from the army. Looking for a little R&R, I'm pretty sure he had no idea that he would be a married man when his short leave ended! But sure enough, the 18th of September 1964 would be the start of a lifelong love story. At the time of Janie's passing, she and Jack had just celebrated their 48th anniversary. It was no surprise to all those who knew them, starting a family happened quite quickly (remember it was only 8 days from their first date til the moment they said "I DO") !!! Janie welcomed a very healthy (10lb) baby girl, JoAnn Lynn Griffin (Sanders) on September 15th, 1965. Janie soon proved what a strong independent woman she was, when Jack didnt't return home from the army for nearly a year after JoAnn was born. Five years later, they were to welcome a son Jackie Lee Jr. , but unfortunately tragedy struck. Jackie was born premature, only to live a short time after birth. This did not affect the love they had for each other and as a family they only grew stronger. The two of them went on to explore and unravel the world together and began sharing many beautiful experiences together, most people only dream about. A life to be proud of.
But the one thing that happened in Janie's life that made her the most proud was the birth of her granddaughter Raven Sanders! That little girl completely stole her heart from day one and continued to hold it tight for the next 20 yrs. Family and friends were what mattered above all else to Janie and she held them all tight to her heart.When we all begin to reflect back on her time on this Earth, we know Janie indeed had a wonderful life, rich and filled with love. We must not be sorrowful, for each of us is a little better off for knowing such a great lady. On a personal note, as her daughter, my Mom gave me so many attributes of which I can never thank her enough for. Janie Louise Griffin was quite a woman.
