Janice "Jan" Kay Gere
Janice Kay Gere Killed in Crash
Miss Janice Kay Gere, 19, was killed Wednesday morning when the car she was driving collided with another vehicle on the main highway north of Hot Springs. Miss Gere was the older daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ned Gere of Chadron. She was born February 16, 1946 at Rapid City. She was a 1964 graduate of Chadron High School and was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church of Chadron.
According to the investigating patrolman, Miss Gere was killed instantly about 5:45 a.m. on Highway 79 about four miles north of the Maverick Junction near Hot Springs. She apparently fell asleep at the wheel of her small foreign-made car as it was on the wrong side of the road at the time of the crash.
The driver of the other car, Paul Miller of St. Louis, Mo., received only minor chest injuries. The patrolman credited the use of seat belts for saving Miller's life. Both drivers were alone at the time of the mishap. Patrolman Ken Rand said that perhaps Miss Gere had awakened just before the crash as the car had swerved to get into its lane of traffic. Both cars were total losses.
Miss Gere was employed at the Chuck Wagon Cafe at Maverick. She was reportedly on her way back to work at the time of the crash. It is believed she was returning from Rapid City.
Besides her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ned Gere, Janice is survived by a sister, Mrs. John Crow, of Valentine, Nebraska; and a brother, Donald, who is teaching in northern Sioux County.
Funeral services were held Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Chadron with Rev. Gerald Flathnan officiating. Chamberlain Mortuary was in charge of arrangements and burial was in Greenwood Cemetery.
Jim Boxler of Omaha, former classsmate of Miss Gere when they were in grade school at Harrison, and Darold Abel of Harrison were among the pallbearers.
Those from this area attending the services were Mr. and Mrs. Darold Abel, Mrs. Rolland Quintard, Mrs. Edna Mae Abel, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Schaefer, Ted Davis, Mrs. Florence Stewart, Mary Fox, Becky Howard and Bruce Abel.
This gravestone photo was found on nebraskagravestones.org.