Janice Marie (Mergelkamp) Kiest

Funeral Service for Janice Marie Kiest, 85 of Sallisaw, Oklahoma will be at 1:00 PM on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at Agent Mallory Martin Chapel in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Burial will follow at Akins Cemetery in Sallisaw, Oklahoma under the direction of Agent Mallory Martin Funeral Service, Inc.

She was born on March 23, 1938 in St. Genevieve, Missouri to Rosina (Kline) Mergelkamp and John J. Mergelkamp, Jr. and passed away on January 12, 2024 in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. She was married to Don Ray Kiest on January 12, 1957 in Champaign, Illinois. He preceded her in death on November 27, 2010. Mrs. Kiest worked beside her husband who was a horse trainer, then worked in the horse track offices at Ross Meadows and Blue Ribbon Downs. Janice was a cashier at Wal-mart for 20 plus years and and enjoyed her Wal-mart family very much. She was a member of St. Xavier Catholic Church in Sallisaw. She enjoyed planting flowers and loved her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Survivors are two sons, David Kiest and Diane of Mahomet, IL and Mike Kiest and Anna of Sallisaw, OK; nine grandchildren, Stacy Carolan, Sarah Dyer, Tosha Harwood, Amanda Motley, Jamie Pollard, Tara Long, Ashley Bess, Brooke Swanson and Cassie Haley; 21 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Carol Smith of Moberly, MO; and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, son, Tim; daughter-in-law, Lori and sister, Mary.

Active Pallbearers will be Justin Haywood, Steve Dodd, Kevin Macon, Jason Russell, Bill Griffin, and Curtis Toon.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Bonnie McKeehen, Dick Ater, Don Sizemore, Carl White, JD Anderson, and Durk Perry.

Viewing will be 10 am – 8 pm Friday at Agent Mallory Martin Funeral Home where the family will greet friends from 6 – 8 pm.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.