NORWAY – Janette L Packard, 92, of Hebron, Maine passed away peacefully Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, with family by her side.

Janette, the oldest of seven children, was born on Jan. 4, 1931, to Charles and Elsie Farrar. She was raised in Sumner/Buckfield, Maine and graduated from Buckfield High School in 1949. Janette married Hildren George Packard on June 24, 1949, and together they raised four children. They shared 43 beautiful years together until Hildren’s passing in 1992.

Early on, Janette was a homemaker and loved taking care of the family farm where they gardened, hayed, made maple syrup and raised dogs, cows, goats, chickens, ponies, bunnies and the occasional orphaned baby racoons they’d find in the woods. She loved going camping in Bingham and enjoyed fishing trips in the Allagash. Janette loved listening to music, especially Hank Williams Jr., Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kid Rock. For the last several summers, she enjoyed her days at camp on Concord Pond where you could find her reading a book, enjoying the sunshine and birds or having a cookout with her family. She could never pass up a yard sale or a craft fair and she especially enjoyed shopping where she would mysteriously disappear for hours as she enjoyed looking at everything. She was fiercely loyal to her family and loved nothing more than her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a very involved grandmother and proudly supported her grandchildren into adulthood. She was known to be a spitfire and you never had to wonder what she was thinking because she had no problem telling you how it was. She would help anyone in need and give the shirt off her back, a life lesson she instilled in her own family.

Beyond her family, Janette was an avid bird watcher and loved tending her flowers. She was a leading member of the Hebron community where she was a Girl Scout leader, member of the Women’s Fire Auxiliary and The Lady’s Circle, a ballot clerk and library trustee. In addition, she also maintained the cemeteries in town and placed American flags on the graves of the Veterans. One of her proudest accomplishments was her 40+ years as a devoted 4-H leader to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many other kids in the community where she was best known as “Gram”. She had many beautiful friendships throughout her life that she maintained through phone calls, written letters and weekly visits up until her passing. She was especially close with her best friend Laurice Desrosier, creating lifelong memories raising their children together, berry picking up on the mountain, holding 4-H meetings and many long shopping trips.

Janette was predeceased by her parents; husband Hildren; mother and father-in-law Lester and Beatrice Packard; brothers Arthur and wife Ruth Farrar, Roger and wife Nancy Farrar, Vernon and wife Lady Farrar, brothers-in-law Warren Packard, Jim Haral, Dick Pullen; sister-in-law Laurice and husband George Desrosier; son-in-law Ronnie Martin; great granddaughter Chloe Packard.

Janette is survived by her children, Rose Martin, Davis Packard, Warren Packard and wife Holly, Sandra Knights and husband Tim; sisters Jeanie Haral and Lorraine Pullen, brother Tony and wife Pat; grandchildren Susan and husband John, Dean and wife Dee, Daniel and wife Amanda, Travis and wife Heather, Heather and husband John, Tyler, Angela and partner Rich, Eric, Alicia and husband Jason; great grandchildren Ashley and partner Zac, John Jr., Chase, William, Harrison, Alec, Daphne, Maverick, Milo, Myla, Jamisen, Landon, Teagan, Asher, Haylee and Kirra; many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the kind, caring staff at Stephen’s Memorial Hospital for their exceptional care of Janette while she was in their care.

Graveside services will be held at Riverside Cemetery in West Minot, Maine (Rt.24 West Minot Road) at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30. There will be a celebration of life at a later date in the summer of 2024.

Arrangements are under the care of Chandler Funeral Homes & Cremation Service, 45 Main St., South Paris. Online condolences may be shared with her family at http://www.chandlerfunerals.com.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the:

Hebron Station School



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