Four days after her 75th birthday, Janet (Dulaney) Herman, of Xenia, Illinois, left this earth, surrounded by love and filled with faith, on Monday, August 19, 2024.

      The day before, she courageously told each of her family members just how much she loved them and how special they were to her.  Selfless to the very end, she felt bad that they had missed a Cardinal game to be there with her in the hospital. 

      Her family and friends were everything to her, but even those who only met her briefly could feel her warmth and joy.  She was filled with genuine kindness and love that could be felt immediately.  She enjoyed playing cards and games and was always at the center of the action at every family function.  She loved to read and to teach and went back to college when her three kids were in grade school.  She drove back and forth to Eastern many times while somehow finding time to make straight A’s and still take care of her family while completing her teaching degree.  She taught at Johnsonville and Mt. Erie Grade Schools and then went on to lead the literacy program at Frontier College.  In 2011, she received a literacy service award from the state and was featured as an Unsung Hero on WSIL Channel 3 News.  Literacy was important to her because she felt it helped people help themselves and their families.  It allowed them to find a better fit in society, and she wanted to help empower adults and kids alike and give them confidence. 

      Janet had a wonderful smile, laugh, and sense of humor, even when her family gave her lots of good-natured teasing.  They even wrote a book series about her called “The Adventures of Grandma Close-Eye”, because she kept a “close eye” on everything!  The stories hold a little bit of truth about her overprotective nature but always end with her heart in the right place and bursting with love.  She loved to travel and even though she couldn’t swim (“Hey, I can doggy paddle!”), she loved the ocean.  She was a beloved member of Orchardville Church and enjoyed working with the kids there, especially volunteering in Little Kids Church.  She loved the Lord and was such a strong person of faith.  She has touched the lives of so many and leaves behind hundreds of people who loved her dearly. 

      She was preceded in death by her parents, Dale and Alta Dulaney of Xenia and her mother and father-in-law, Otto and Elizabeth Herman of Olney. 

      She leaves behind her husband of 54 years, Frank Herman of Xenia, whom she affectionately called “FM” or “Franklin”, as well as her children Chris Herman (wife Mary Anne), Gina Herman and Lisa Herman Engelke (husband Ryan).  She also leaves her sister, Becky Wyatt of Indianapolis, and her brother, Tom Dulaney (wife Lisa) of Xenia.  She spent countless hours with her grandkids Grace, Tyler, Peyton and Ethan, rarely missing a ballgame or school activity.  She also leaves behind more than 50 nieces and nephews, numerous cousins and friends who loved her and thousands of students who benefited from her teaching.  She will be abundantly missed.  She was little, but she was good. 

      A funeral ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 24, 2024, at Orchardville Church, with Pastor Rick Hays officiating.  Interment will follow in Cisne Cemetery.  A visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Friday evening at the church.  Arrangements are by Frank & Bright Funeral Home in Flora.  Memorials may be made in her name to Frontier Community College Adult Education Center or Orchardville Church, and these will be accepted through the funeral home.  To share a condolence or memory, visit: www.frankandbright.com