Janet Dingemanse

Janet Lucille Huff was born on August 5th, 1946 in Perkins, Oklahoma.  She was the second child of Emma Lucille Galusha Huff and Gene Joseph Huff, and younger sister of Jean Huff.  The family moved to Benicia, California, where her father was stationed at Oakland Army Base during WWII.  In 1949, Janet’s younger sister, Marcine Huff was born.  Janet’s father passed away not long after his return from the war.  Emma moved her three girls back to Oklahoma and remarried.  Soon, younger siblings, Linda Smith and Sonny Boy Smith were born.  After living in several different towns in Oklahoma and Texas, they finally settled in Buffalo, Oklahoma in 1958 when Janet was 12 years old.  She graduated from Buffalo High School in 1964, and then married Gary Snell.  They moved to Alaska for a couple of years, and then settled in Kansas City.  In 1967, their son, Bart Snell was born.  Following divorce and while still living in Kansas City, Janet met and married Pieter Dingemanse in 1978.  Their family grew instantly with the inclusion of Piet’s children, 14-year-old Jim and 9-year-old Debbie.  Piet’s job moved them to Lisle, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, where they lived for 4 years.  In 1982, Piet’s job moved them again, this time to the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, Washington.  Janet went to cosmetology school, and then worked at a nail salon for a few years.  She then decided to move her business and work out of her home, her clientele followed her.  Because Piet was born in Middleburg, Netherlands, they would often visit his family there, which enabled them to travel to England, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany, and Italy.  On other traveling adventures, they went to many Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska.  Janet and her husband retired in 2004, they sold their home and bought a 5th-wheel travel trailer.  They traveled the United States, and in two years completed their travel goal of visiting all of the continental U.S., her favorite being Colorado on the train from Durango to Silverton and Mark Twain’s home in Hannibal, Missouri.  In 2007, they decided to settle down and build a home in Longview, Washington.  After several years of battling cancer, Janet passed away in her home on May 29, 2016 surrounded by many family members.

Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mother, Stepmother, “Oma” (Dutch for Grandma), Aunt, Great Aunt, Great-Great Aunt, niece, cousin, Beta Sigma Phi sorority sister/philanthropist, sewing expert, chef, neighbor, and friend were many of Janet’s titles, and she was proud of the special place in her heart that each one held.  Friends and family will never forget the beautiful, loving, and giving spirit that she bestowed on everyone around her.  The
following are precious memories her family had with Janet.  As a child, when sent out to play with her sisters, she was the only one to come back as clean as when she left.  When making mud pies to throw at the neighbor boys, she had to decorate them first.  She had the best beehive hairdo in the 60’s.  Her favorite holiday was Christmas.  Her favorite movies were The Wizard of Oz, Tombstone, and Zorro.  She loved the book, The Scarlet Pimpernel.   She loved spending time with her son, Bart, and she recalled her last trip to visit him as a “favorite day” when they had a night on the town eating lobster and drinking Rum Runners!  She also enjoyed telling stories of Bart’s teenage years, like when he slid down the laundry chute to the basement or when his friends lit up her front lawn with road flares. She loved to sew; not a grandchild, niece or nephew was born without a blanket she made for them.  She had a large garden and loved to cook, some of her family’s favorites were Scalloped Potatoes with Ham, Chicken and Artichokes, Pork Diane, and The Chocolate Volcano.  She also enjoyed canning; her specialties were pickles, jellies, and apple butter.  She never missed sending confetti filled cards for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.  She loved teaching silly songs to her grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.  She had an extensive doll collection, her favorites being the Native American dolls.  She was the current president of her philanthropic sorority, Beta Sigma Phi in Longview, Washington and enjoyed fundraising for local women’s shelters, the local hospice, and Back Pack Buddies to name a few. When her sister Marcine was going through cancer treatments of surgery, chemo and radiation, Janet went to California to help take care of her.  She loved her grandkids “to the moon and back!”

Janet was preceded in death by her father, Gene Huff; brother, Sonny Boy Smith; and nephew, Dewayne Miller.  She is survived by her husband, Piet Dingemanse of Longview, WA; son, Bart Snell and children, Caden, Cavan and McKenna of Epping, NH;  stepdaughter, Debbie Jumelet of Longview, WA and children, Austin and Bradley of Bonney Lake, WA, and Joshua and wife Tabitha and her four children of Auburn, WA; stepson, Jim Dingemanse and wife, Jean of Tucson, AZ and children Jeremy and Jesse of Ft. Worth, TX, Jeanette and husband, David and children of Tucson, AZ, and son, Jeff; sister, Jean Huff Kuhn and husband, Jeff of Glencoe, OK; sister, Marcine Huff Stucker and husband, Ron of Suisun City, CA; mother, Emma Smith of Buffalo OK; sister, Linda Smith and husband, Dan of Buffalo OK; aunt Joanna Rollins; aunt Jean Loper; cousin, Julie and Rick Cunningham; nieces and nephews, Shelby Miller; Max Miller; Tammy, Larry, and Scotland Souders; Ky, Heather, Tatum, and Peyton Todish; Teresa Miller; Jon, Emily and Hailen Hiner; Zach and Kelly Lawhorn; Jess Click; Julie and James Slavens; Derrick, Destiny, and Evert Slavens; Dalton and Kristen Slavens; Velon, Roy and Gracie Alvarez; Grady and Beth Snell; Jeff, Shannon, Austin and Alexa Stucker, Meggan and Mikailla Roundtree; Chris and Amanda Stucker; Darci Immell, Mark Lemons, and Alex Leatherman; Phillip, Gail, Avery, Liam, and Amelie Crouch; Jennifer, Ken, Jake and Carter Widman; Emily, Jonathon, Brody, and Tessa Lier; Sarah, Keith, Andrew, Everett, and Kennedy Becker; John, Heather, Brooke, and Brock Gipson.

For condolences, please send a donation in Janet’s name to PeaceHealth Southwest Hospice & HomeCare,  5400 MacArthur Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98661, Phone: (360) 696-5100.