Marie Jane “Sally” Perez, 95, of Kansas City, KS, passed away on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at her home surrounded by her children.
She was born July 9, 1927, in Lillis, KS. She attended grade school in Neuchatel and graduated from Onaga High School, where she was voted president of her Freshman class and perfomed as a majorette in the marching band. After graduation from high school, she moved to Topeka and found a job making parts for the B-29 Superfortress during World War II.
She married Evaristo J. “Everett” Perez on June 12, 1949, in Iowa, and they eventually settled in Kansas City, KS. She worked at the Snow Cap Restaurant, Russell Stover’s, Hallmark, and the deli at K-Mart.
She loved to travel. She and Everett made several trips to Mexico, and numerous trips to Washington, to visit their son, Joseph, and see the sites. Most summers were spent in Onaga and Duluth, KS, where she was always busy — gardening, decorating, and exploring landmarks from her youth.
Holidays were always a special time. Grandma always has a special treat bag made up for each of the grandkids when they came to visit on Easter and Halloween. She especially loved decorating the house at Christmas time with snowmen and her Christmas trees and houses.
Sally like spending quiet time with a book or a crossword puzzle. She played the piano, crocheted blankets and sewed quilts for many years, but eventually had to give it up due to the crippling effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis. For many years she continued to find creative ways to accomplish tasks despite her limitations, and managed to occupy her time by completing numerous Thomas Kincaid jigsaw puzzles. When she was no longer able to do that, she kept her mind sharp by balancing her checkbook down to the penny every month. She was a strong woman, who preserved and kept up the good fight until the very end.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Evaristo Perez, her parents, John (Jack) L. Hazlett and Mildred G. Dodds Kelly, and two brothers, Duane and Rufus Hazlett.
Sally will be dearly missed by all who knew her, especially her four children and their families. She is survived by her two sons, Joseph Perez of Marysville, WA and Timothy Perez (Tammy) of Kansas City, KS, her two daughters, Julie Johnson (Mike) and Rebecca Lynn, both of Kansas City, KS; eleven grandchildren, Chassidy Spaniol, John (Jamie) Johnson, Jennifer (Jason) Keller, Ashley (Patrik) Schantell, Tim (Christie) Perez, Emily (Moises) Perez, Josef (Abigail) Perez, Chad (Trinity) Lynn, Cortney (Steve) Webster, Kevin (Melissa) Heyd, and William Sangelo; twenty-seven great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, and in-laws.
Sally will lie in state from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 10th, and from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, at the Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Onaga, KS, where family and friends will meet from Noon until 2:00 p.m. Cremation will follow the visitation and burial at will be at a later date in the Neuchatel Cemetery.