Janett McNiel Crain

Janett McNiel Crain, wife of Larry Crain, passed away on December 14th. She was born to the late George T. and Lorene Easterwood McNiel on December 9, 1941 in Flint, Michigan and grew up in Searcy where her family was active members of the First United Methodist Church and involved with the Searcy community. A 1959 Searcy High School honor graduate and named Miss SHS, she was a member of the Searcy High School Band, cheerleading squad, Lion annual staff , the Lion’s Roar newspaper staff, and an Arkansas Girls State delegate. Following high school, she attended the University of Arkansas where she was active in Delta Delta Delta sorority and named a Dream Girl for Pi Kappa Alpha. She and long-time Searcy High School sweetheart Larry Crain married while students at the University of Arkansas. Following graduation, they moved back to the central Arkansas area. Mrs. Crain taught at Southwest Junior High School in Little Rock, Bald Knob High School, and Searcy High School. She was an active member of First United Methodist Church of Searcy where she served as trustee, youth and children’s Sunday School teacher, president of the United Methodist Women, youth counselor, and Peru mission team member. She and her husband were also involved with the ministries of Good News United Methodist Church in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Active in her community and the one to call for a cause she supported, Mrs. Crain was president of Searcy Junior Auxiliary during the establishment of Searcy Sunshine School. She continued to support the school until her death. She was an active volunteer in the Searcy Public Schools where she served as P.T.A. (now P.T.O) president at her sons’ schools and always served as a cheerleader for their academics and athletic activities. One of Janett’s most endearing influences was the relationship she shared as the mother figure to the entire Crain Automotive Team and to the Arkansas Rimrockers players and organization. Her positive attitude and perpetual smile, while always sharing a kind word for each person in those organizations, will forever be remembered, and she will be missed. Her accolades include being recognized as the Junior Auxiliary Mardi Gras Queen in 2004 and a Distinguished Alumnae of the Searcy Public Schools Education Foundation Hall of Honor in 2015. She served as past president of Chapter AA of P.E.O. She was an active member of the Main Street Searcy Board of Directors, the Arkansas Cancer Research Center Auxiliary in Little Rock, the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Commission, the Old Statehouse Museum Association, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Susan Rand Art Scholarship Trust, the Arkansas Alumni Association, the Towers of Old Main Society, and the building committee for the Wesley Foundation at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Mrs. Crain also participated in a literary group she fondly referred to as “Fabulous Book Club” with women of all ages who enjoyed literature as much as she did. Surviving her are her devoted husband of fifty-seven years, Larry, her sons Larry Crain, Jr. and wife Joy of Little Rock, Marc Crain of Big Bear Lake, California, and Chris Crain and wife Jennifer of Conway. Known as “Grandy” to her grandchildren with whom she loved spending time and traveling are Chandler, Chase, Carrington, Christian, Cenzington, Covington, Cruze, Camryn, Caroline and great-grandchildren Saige, Stellar, Jack, and Cannon. Also surviving are her beloved sisters Julie and husband Dr. Larry Killough of Searcy, Cindy and husband Danny Lesley of Collierville, Tennessee, and a host of many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. Millar Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity, once stated, “For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other.” Truly, Janett Crain embodied this ideal. A celebration of Janett’s life will be held at First United Methodist Church in Searcy with arrangements by Powell Funeral Home on Tuesday, December 18 at 1:30 p.m. There will be a gathering of friends at the First United Methodist Church from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday, December 17. Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, Sunshine School in Searcy, or the Wesley Foundation at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

Janett McNiel Crain

December 9, 1941 - December 14, 2018