Janelle Embry McCullough

 Janelle Embry McCullough, 76, was born on June 19, 1946 and was entered into rest with her Lord and Savior on May 15, 2023 after a long battle with breast cancer. She was preceded in death by her parents, Palone Artimease "Artie" Shaver Embry and James "Rufus" Embry.

A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 19, 2023 located at Grawood Baptist Church-5841 Colquitt Rd, Keithville, LA 71047. Funeral services honoring the life of Janelle will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at the church. Officiating the service will be Dr. Bruce Roach. Interment will be held at Forest Park East Cemetery-3700 St Vincent Ave, Shreveport, LA 71103.

Her survivors include her husband of 56 years, Dennis Michael "Mike" McCullough, and her son Benjamin "Ben" McCullough of Keithville, and daughter Beth McCullough Roach (Bruce) of Minot, North Dakota. Janelle was blessed with two wonderful grandsons - Caleb Roach (Sarah) of Shreveport, LA, and Michael Roach of Minot, ND, and further blessed by two great-grandchildren - Hudson Roach and Laura Katherine Roach. She is also survived by one sister, Marilyn Chevalier of Petal, MS and one brother, Charles "Charlie" Roscoe Embry of Bellingham, WA. Another family member precious to Janelle was her first cousin Norma Woodard (Homer) of San Antonio, TX.

Janelle served as a Caddo Parish public school cafeteria manager for 27 years, finally retiring from North Highlands Elementary School. She was known to have the best school food in the parish. She was also an accomplished cake decorator and caterer, having learned to cook at an early age. She was known to be a patient teacher of home cooking to her children.

Her most famous "dishes" included the lemon cookies that she baked each year around Christmas and the seafood gumbo that was made from scratch whenever she had fresh seafood.

Janelle loved the Lord, and knew that He loved her. Although she was not often vocal about her faith, she allowed the Lord to work through her in her service to others. During times of celebration or devastation, she was always the first to volunteer to bring a meal, and to minister to the person or family in need. She was known to be a servant of the Most High God.

Church family was an important part of Janelle's life. She especially loved her Sunday School class at Grawood Baptist Church, where she attended for 27 years. As a child, Ingleside Baptist Church is where she came to know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Her children witnessed her reading scripture daily, and saw her acts of service, knowing that their mother was used of God and was a Godly influence in their own lives.

Janelle had a sense of humor, and nowhere did that emerge more than when she crocheted.

Having learned just the basics of crocheting from her mother, she must have made thousands of potholders of varying sizes and in varying colors over the years. Some family members were blessed by her gift to them of an afghan. The afghans were always striped because, well, that's all she knew how to do. But they were precious gifts. Then came the scarves! Having a daughter in North Dakota opened up a whole new market for gift-giving. So in all sizes and in all colors came the scarves. She used to laugh that she had a potholder or a scarf in any color a person needed, and often joked that any person who came to her funeral would be able to pick out a potholder of their choice.

All in all, Janelle was a great wife, mother, and friend to all those who knew her, and she will be greatly missed. Although our hearts break at her death, we do not mourn as those who have no hope, for we have the precious promise that one day, those of us who have trusted the Lord as Savior, will see her again. Until that day, we remember ......

In memory of Janelle, memorials may be made to The Gideon's International.