August 2, 1938 – July 12, 2024
Mother, grandmother, favorite aunt, teacher (Mrs. C), and friend Janet Sue (Rodgers) Cunningham, 85, of Indianapolis, passed away peacefully in hospice care surrounded by family after a six-month illness on Friday, July 12, 2024.
Janet thought of her best accomplishments in life as her daughter, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-granddaughter. She loved teaching children and encouraging them to be the best they could be. One of her students recently relayed how she wasn’t a strong speller and eventually received a 100% on her spelling test. She said, “Mrs. C. blew a whistle and had the whole class stop what they were doing to cheer!” Janet loved reading and writing and encouraged children to be both readers and writers. Janet had written many stories of her childhood, growing up on a farm in Clinton County, and about her childhood friendships and beloved family. Janet taught 3rd and 5th grade at Parkview Primary and Parkview Intermediate in Bedford, Indiana, for thirty-five years.
Janet enjoyed traveling and spent many summers traveling to Europe and throughout the United States with family and friends, indulging in local culinary and community culture. There were always anticipated gifts for all the children in her family: embroidered shirts and Sharon caps from Greece, Paddington bears, tea sets, and London Bridge books from Harrods Department store in England, felt derby hats, and matching wool kilts and sweaters from Scotland.
Janet could always be found in the crowd cheering on her grandchildren at swimming meets, soccer matches, and basketball games. She continued to support her great-grandchildren, and if she couldn’t attend games, band concerts, or music/theater performances, she wanted a video to view the performance and show off to her friends. She loved FaceTime with her great-great-granddaughter as she learned to talk and say “Hi GraNan.”
Friendship was important to Janet, and she would organize gatherings of church friends for dinner, meeting with teacher friends for coffee, playing cards, or various other outings. She loved attending annual reunions of the Jackson Township Cardinals, her school in Clinton County, to reconnect with old friends. She has been friends with some of them for over eighty years. She also cherished the new friends she recently made when moving to Robin Run Village in Indianapolis.
Janet had a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Education from Indiana University. She was very active in First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Bedford, holding various offices and serving on several committees, including youth leaders and Sunday school teachers, for many years.
Janet will be greatly missed by her daughter, Julia Cunningham Holloway; grandchildren, Shannon Holloway-Sargent (Chris), Merideth Holloway Sprigler (Joey), and Stuart Holloway (Jacky); great-grandchildren Josie Sargent, Hana Sargent, Alexander Holloway, Vanessa Holloway, Emma Sprigler, AJ Sprigler, and great-great-granddaughter, Eleanor; nieces and nephews: Janie Telander, Susan Robey, Barbara Johnson, Beverly Holloway, William Dickhaut, Andrew Mosier, Elizabeth Mosier, Paul Mosier; and brother-in-law Richard Dickhaut.
Janet was preceded in death by her parents, Clinton and Ruth Rodgers; brothers, Edward Rodgers and Harold Rodgers; sisters, Mary Dickhaut and Ruth Mosier; sisters-in-law, Jean Rodgers and Jane Rodgers; brother-in-law, Russell Mosier; nephew, John (Jed) Dickhaut; niece, Lisa Kenter; and nephew-in-law, Scott Robey.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 1101 15th Street, Bedford, Indiana 47421, at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, 2024.
In place of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made in Janet’s memory to Bedford Christian Camp to rebuild a shelter house in honor of her dedication to children. Donations can be mailed to First Christian Church, 1101 15th Street, Bedford, Indiana 47421.
Neptune Society is in charge of cremation arrangements.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared here.
