Verlie M. January

June 3, 1934 - December 9, 2018

Verlie was born Verlie Mildred Arnold on June 3, 1934 in Gary, Minnesota to Mabel Gunn Arnold and Floyd Lloyd (Bill) Arnold. She passed peacefully to join her much-missed husband “Jan” on December 9, 2018 at the age of 84 in Newberg, Oregon. Verlie and her older brother were joined by two brothers and two sisters as her parents moved to several different western states where her father worked on farms, ranches and roads to support the growing family. She called Montana home, though, as that was where her parents were from originally and where they always returned to from other places. Verlie graduated from Thompson Falls High School in Thompson Falls, Montana in 1953 while staying with Cecil and Pearl Johnson, longtime family friends. Shortly after graduation Verlie moved to Southern California, joining many immediate and extended family members. There she met and married Oland Cletus January in 1954, living for a short time in Fresno and then moving to Santa Monica. In 1960 the family, now including three children, moved to Grants Pass, Oregon. A fourth child was born there following the move. Grants Pass was home to the Januarys for many years except for a three year stay in McMinnville in the mid-1960’s. Verlie was a homemaker for a number of years, working as Mom, keeping house, gardening, canning and preserving, sewing, and as a volunteer in her children’s schools. Later, she worked for a regional health insurance company as a bookkeeper and as a claims adjuster, and after that owned and operated a sandwich shop with her husband. Verlie loved to paint and worked on many craft projects as well. Verlie is survived by her daughter Shelia January (Adam Zabinski) of Newberg, sons Robb January of Grants Pass and Duane January (Stacy) of Beaverton, brothers Duane Arnold and Bill Arnold, sister Denise Hillstad, grandchildren Tyrone, Cassandra, Brittany, Rebecca, Nicole, Caitlyn and Morgan, and great-grandsons Malachi, Ayden, Arthur and Henry. She was predeceased by her parents, her husband O.C. January, her son Todd, her brother Keith Arnold and her sister Sally Pena. Verlie will be buried with her husband at the Veterans National Cemetery in Eagle Point, OR after a short service at 11am on February 1st, 2019. A celebration of life will be held following, location to be announced.