Janine A. Graves

Greenfield, Massachusetts
Janine A. (Jerome) Graves, of 21 Meadow Lane, Greenfield, loving mother of Sheila and Tammy Graves, and loving wife of Donald Plamondon, died March 4, 2018, as a result of complications from vascular dementia. She was born on April 24, 1937, the daughter of Charles and Edith Jerome, and grew up in Ashfield. The Ashfield of her youth, as well as the friends and family that were a part of her life there, always held a special place in her heart.

A celebration of life in remembrance of the late Janine A. Graves, who died March 4, 2018 at the Quabbin Valley Health Care Center, Athol, MA, will take place on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 10:00AM, with a graveside service to be observed at the Plain Cemetery, Baptist Corner, Ashfield, MA. A reception will follow at the Loyal Order of Moose, 20 School Street, Greenfield, MA at 1:00PM.

She was married to Fritz Graves, the father of her two daughters. Mom was a very attentive mother, was an excellent cook and baker (always a home-baked after school snack) and maintained a well-kept home. Besides raising her girls, Mom could often be found nursing all sorts of animals back to health. From motherless rabbits, to orphaned lambs, they made their temporary home in boxes in our kitchen. Her talents also included snow plowing, as she often completed her husband’s plow routes - young girls in tow.

After a divorce in her late thirties, Mom began the pursuit of becoming a nurse, which had been a dream of hers before beginning a family. Given a particularly stressful time in her life, with two teenage daughters still at home, Mom enrolled in nursing school. Despite obstacles, the most challenging of which, was reentering school after 20 years, Mom was able to achieve excellent grades and earn her LPN degree.

After graduating, Mom was soon hired as a nurse at Franklin Nursing Home in Greenfield, MA, where she was employed for 24 years. She took her profession very seriously, and from all accounts was a very dedicated nurse. Eventually, as an independent, working woman, who now qualified for credit, she was able to buy her first home in Northfield, as well as her first new car.

It was when she lived in Northfield that she met Donald, whom she later married, with whom she would spend the next 37 years of her life. Theirs was a special bond. They enjoyed dancing, travelling, and just being together. Don was instrumental in Mom’s care, and as her disease progressed, lovingly attended to her increasing needs, and ensured enjoyment in her days, such as rides to Ashfield, and trips to the cremee.

On weekends, Mom and Don often enjoyed the company of Don’s young children, David and Denise, and Mom’s two young granddaughters, Mandy and Elisha. After her retirement, she was able to spend more time caring for her great-granddaughter, Elisha’s daughter, Jordyn.

Mom was predeceased by both of her parents, as well as a brother Alan (Shirley). She leaves her husband, Donald, her daughters Sheila (Michael Epstein) and Tammy (Gerald Bergeron), gift children David Plamondon and Denise Devlin (Scott). Mom leaves grandchildren Mandy Antes (Jim), Elisha Sweet (Alan Taylor), Aaron Pollen (Alissa), Kyle Wolfram, gift grandchildren Catherine Rivard and Cameron Tirrell , Kyle Devlin, and Jake and Eli Epstein. She also leaves great-granddaughters, Jordyn Guzman, and Aria Pollen. Mom is survived by both a sister, Deanne Samson (Neil), and a brother, Charles “Butch” Jerome (Anne). Many of her fondest memories involved her cousins, Pat and Gerry, who also survive her.

Mom was a supporter of the local effort, Warm the Children. If you would like to donate in her memory, please send a check to: Warm the Children, c/o The Recorder, P.O. Box 1367, Greenfield, MA 01302. Given her illness, other contributions in her memory can be made to Vascular Dementia Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962 or in c/o cdrinfo@nki.rfmh.org

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