Janeil Spendlove Tebbs - December 21, 1958 to March 13, 2020

This will be the saddest post I will have to make this year, the death of my sister Janeil.  Last November she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer that had metastasized to her brain and bone.  She probably had, had this for a long time in that they couldn't figure out why her hip bone would not heal after a hip surgery about two years ago.  My bet, it was cancer in the bone.  In December, she tried some chemo therapy and just could not make it and decided to quit and let nature take it's course. 

Nature did take it's course with a steady dose of oxycodone and continued smoking at Ashley's house.  Finally the first part of February, hospice reported Ashley as unfit to take care of Janeil and she was moved to her other daughter, Kelsey's, home.  Kelsey and her husband Zack were very vigilant in giving her proper care and consistent medication; however, Janeil was a drug addict and the dose they were giving was nothing her body could not handle.  She literally wasted away with her heart going strong.  Finally, the drug dose was increased to cause an overdose and on March 13, 2020, she took her final breath.

I was able to see her and talk to her (she of course couldn't talk back) and prayed sincerely for angels to comfort her and attend her.  I have never seen anyone look so emaciated and fragile.  My heart is still crying.

She will be cremated and her family will bury her ashes in Henefer sometime later this year.

Janeil had a self-made difficult life.  She was quite smart in high school and could easily have gone to college, but by the end of high school she was hooked on cigarettes and drugs.  She married Kim Fowers February 2, 1979 and divorced him in early 1980.  She then lived with David Tebbs for about three years before they were married August 12, 1983.  During this time of living out-of-wedlock with David, the bishop in there ward decided to excommunicate them.  She was never re-baptized.

She was the mother to two daughters, Ashley (born 1983) and Kelsey (born 1986).  She held several odd jobs but each time being released because she couldn't get her drug problem corrected.  After David and Janeil split and later divorced, she lived for almost 6 months in her car; finally getting a little bit of control of her life, she moved into an apartment but remained estranged from her daughters.  Ashley had a child out-of-wedlock (Evie) and is a drug addict herself.  Kelsey has a wonderful family but had Braiden out-of-wedlock until marrying Zack.

David died of diabetes in 2007, so Janeil has been alone for a long time.  I have never been close to her as she is number 7 of 8 children and I was at college and married as she was growing up.  I do know that she really was very pretty and I loved her kind eyes.  She was always trying to buy your love and desperately needed love.  I pray she is receiving much love in Paradise.

This is her obituary:

Janeil Spendlove Tebbs, 61, died peacefully at her daughter’s home in Layton, Utah, March 13, 2020.  Janeil is the daughter of Wayne and Deyon (Eakins) Spendlove of Morgan, Utah.  She was born December 21, 1958 in Ogden, Weber, Utah.  She graduated valedictorian from Morgan High School in 1977.  Janeil married David Stanley Tebbs, August 12, 1983 and they had two beautiful daughters, Ashley Ray Tebbs of Roy, Utah, and Kelsey Dee Tebbs (Zackery VanWormer) of Layton, Utah; her and David later divorced.  She leaves behind her two daughters along with her four grandchildren:  Evie Nicole McGlamery, Braiden David Nestico, Ava Ashlyn VanWormer, and Hazel Lee VanWormer.

Janeil loved to read and work in her garden, she adored her cat Lucy and talked about her often.  She believed in the power of healing through massage, touch and transferred energies.  Her sense of humor and love for her close friends was one of a kind and she will be missed dearly.

Janeil is also survived by her parents and seven sisters and brothers:  Shanna (Theron) Schaefermeyer, Washington, Utah; Denzil (Susan) Spendlove, Henefer, Utah; Dawain (Jana) Spendlove, Clinton, Utah; Linda Butcher, Clinton, Utah; Rodney Spendlove, Morgan, Utah; Diane Berman, Redmond, Oregon; and Lisa (Christian) Griffith, Silverdale, Washington.  She is preceded in death by her grandparents and her aunt Freida Sinkinger.

The family will hold a memorial service at a later date.

The family would like to give special thanks to Ashley Tebbs and Blake Larsen for their care for Janeil during her struggle battling cancer; to Lori Sickinger for her determination in keeping Janeil in good spirits; to Kelsey Tebbs and Zack VanWormer for their care during her final few weeks; and a heartfelt thank you to her nurses Elyse, Kylee, and Aspen from Summit Hospice. 

Goodbye Sister, see you on the other side.