Jeanette Kaylene Thomas was born January 11, 1946 at the St. Anthony's Hospital, Hays, Kansas. Jeanette went to be with the Lord on April 27, 2016 at home in Agra, KS. Jeanette was the daughter of Wayne and Mildred (Showers) Thomas.

At the time of Jeanette's birth, the family lived west of Palco, Kansas, in the Redline community. When she was a few months old, they moved west of Hill City. They were living there when her brother, Delaine, was born. When Jeanette was 3 years old, the family moved into Hill City and across the alley from her Grandpa and Grandma Showers. Living that close made it handy to get to know her grandparents very well.

When Jeanette was 5 years old, the family moved up northwest of Logan, Kansas, in the Cactus community on the Cooley Ranch. While there they had the adventure of lightning hitting and knocking a hole in the side of the house and another year a tornado took the roof off of Delaine's room while he was still sleeping in the bed. After four years living there, her parents bought their own farm that was located 6 miles north and 1 mile west of Logan, Kansas, and that is where Jeanette finished growing up.

Jeanette attended the Logan Schools all 12 years, graduating in 1964. She attended two years at Central College, McPherson, Kansas and worked at Eldon's IGA in McPherson the next Fall after graduating that Spring from Central. The next Spring she came back home to her parents and started school at Sidney's Beautry College, in Hays, Kansas later that summer.

She worked as a beautician in Norton until her marriage to Robert Chaffin in 1968. They lived in Jennings where he taught. They had a son, Kenton Layne, but the marriage ended in divorce.

Jeanette than had her own beauty shop in Logan until Kenton was 1 year old and she started working in Phillipsburg as a receptionist and secretary for Farmland Industries. She was employed there almost 3 years.

Jeanette married Alan Abbott on August 25, 1972, and they lived in Agra, Kansas. She continued working at Farmland for almost a year, until she needed to be home with Kenton. Regina was born in 1974 and then Andrea arrived in the family in 1978. Jeanette was quite busy with her family, but to earn extra money she started painting ceramics at home for Patricia Bennett, and worked part time at the Mustang Cafe until it was sold and then Alan bought it and Jeanette managed it.

When Alan and Jeanette parted, she started working as a CNA in the Phillips County Home. She married Fitzgerald Haskett on November 8, 1985, and continued working at the Home for a few more months before they moved to the Haskett Farm north of town. To this family was added two little boys, Joseph and Wade. They lived on the farm 14 years and while there, Jeanette started driving the school bus for Eastern Heights when Wade was only 9 months old. She loaded the boys in their infant car seats and took them with her on the route, so they grew up riding the bus. The family moved to Agra in 1999, as Gerald was working at Tamko then and it was closer. Jeanette started substitute teaching at the school around that time.

Jeanette's health started being a problem with her heart and then in 2000 she had breast cancer and chemo treatments, so she gave up driving the bus but continued substitute teaching when she could until Wade graduated from high school. After not driving the school bus she became the Agra Librarian and did that for 8 years before retiring completely. She did teach piano lessons in her home for a few years after moving to town.

Jeanette's favorite things to do was first of all to spend time with her family and friends. Laughter was always a special thing for her. When she was younger she enjoyed playing sports, hunting with her Dad and just being on the farm working with cattle. She enjoyed that when Gerald and she lived on the farm. She hated it when she was not able to work cattle anymore.

She learned to sew when she was in Junior High and spent many years sewing her own clothes and clothes for her children. When she was a girl, she learned to crochet and down through the years she gave away and sold many doilies or afghans. Later she enjoyed making quilts and painting pictures. She loved to sing and when she was a girl she sang in a trio with her Mom and brother. She also enjoyed sitting down at the piano and playing by note or by ear. The faster the song the better.

Jeanette was preceded in death by her parents, her grandparents and all of her uncles and three aunts. Those surviving her are her husband, Gerald, her children, Kenton and Darla Abbott, Great Bend, Regina and Neil Lutgen, McPherson, Andrea Abbott, Joe Haskett and Wade and Valerie Haskett, three grandson, Michael, Luke and Daniel Abbott, her brother, Delaine and Deb Thomas, Prairie View, and many nephews and nieces, and two aunts, Florene Thomas and Norma Adams, and many cousins.

Funeral services will be held Monday, May 2 at 10:00 a.m. in the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Phillipsburg. A private family interment will follow in the Haskett Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 12:00 to 9:00 Saturday and Sunday with the family receiving friends from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Gideon's or St. Jude's Children's Hospital