Obituary
Our beloved sister, aunt, cousin, and friend, Janice F. Moorehead Grisham, walked into the Next Life on Thursday, March 8, 2012. Her loving family was by her side when she crossed over at 3:15pm, at Sutter Coast Hospital. Janice was born at the old Knapp Hospital on Friday, March 22, 1946 in Crescent City, CA to Maggie (James) and Frank Moorehead. Jan was an Elder and Base Roll Member (Citizen) of the Smith River Rancheria. Jan served her tribe on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Committee. She enjoyed attending and participating in many Smith River Rancheria tribal events.
As a young woman her aunt Ethel (Moorehead) Scott dressed her in the family dress and Jan would demonstrate Nay-dosh dance whenever asked. Janice attended school at Smith River and Del Norte High School. Jans family was raised in the Indian Shaker Church, in turn Jan was around the Shaker Church all of her life. In 1968, she met and married Raymond Grisham and moved to White City, OR. Jans only child, Doyle, was born on October 22, 1969. Sadly, Raymond passed away in 1977 and Jan returned home to Smith River, where she lived in her Uncle Joe LaFountains home on the Rancheria. Later Janice lived with John Koch near the Gushchu Hall Elder Nutrition Center.
Jan enjoyed many hours eating, visiting, and doing jigsaw puzzles at the Elder Nutrition Center. Jan began going to BINGO with her sister Margaret and Aunt Lila; they made many road trips to Hoopa and Trinidad to play high-stakes Indian BINGO. Jan was an avid fan of Days of Our Lives; her daily plans were scheduled around her soap, and she could not get enough of Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson movies. Having a good pizza at Wild River Pizza was a special treat for Jan.
Her IHSS worker, Dusty Lopez, ensured Jan made it to all her appointments and shopping trips in Brookings, Crescent City, and Eureka. Jan thought the world of Dusty and the care she provided her with. Another person special to Jan was Angel, United Indian Health Services; any problem with Jans health care, Angel could fix it.
Jan was preceded in death by her sister Margaret Brooks, husband Raymond Grisham, son Doyle Grisham at birth, her parents, her brothers Louis and Franklin.
Jan leaves her sister Stella Salmans and first cousins Adrienne Thomas, Sue Jocsing, Andy Whipple, Ted Moorehead, Beverly James, Butch Moorehead, Bonnie Dela Cruz, Elaine Moorehead, Darryle Moorehead, Carl James, Wilma Hoffman, Leonard James, Sadie Lee Nichols, Fred Bartow, and Vicki Spargur. Nieces and nephews Lanelle Moorehead, Cliff, Nadia, Carmen, Cliff Jr., Summer, James Jr., Joseph, Jessica, Ethel, Kennick, Ke-get, Sheila, Kitana, Kiana, Josafienna, Mayan, Shannon, Andrew., Franceane Moorehead, Jeremy, Paula, James, Zach, Celeste Fillmore, Nicole, Maggie, Jesse, Dennis Moffett, Taylor, Linda Oliphant, Ian, Duncan, Jessica Salmans, Angelo, Angel, Louis, Darrin Moffett, Richard Ben Brooks, and Gwyn Andrea Brooks.
Services for Janice will be held with the candlelight service on March 17th from 7pm to 7am (March 18th) at the Indian Shaker Church and with funeral being on March 18th at the Indian Shaker Church at 2pm and fellowship with potluck following immediately at the Howonquet Hall Community Center.