Janette Pace Boswell

Ola Janette Pace Boswell was born the second child of Floyd Curtis and Nobie Celestial Garrett Pace on April 2, 1929 in Louann Arkansas.  She passed away peacefully on October 3 at the home of her sister, Geraldine Mason.  Her formative years were in the east end of Marion County before the family moved to Homer, LA, where she graduated High School.  She married Lincoln Palmer Boswell of Many, Louisiana, on March 1, 1952 in Natchitoches, LA where she had recently graduated from Northwestern State University.  She was the first of her Pace line to complete a college degree.  Her first role after graduation was teaching airmen from Barksdale AFB in the post-war years and eventually for Texas Eastern Gas Transmission Corporation.  She was a legal secretary for the Shreveport company, having worked on interstate rights of way in Washington DC until that work was substantially completed, then in the engineering department.  Throughout his career she worked for George Ewing, a young engineer who became Chief Engineer, Vice President and eventually President of Texas Eastern.  She moved to Houston, TX, in 1975 with the company, retiring in 1990 although she continued to work for Mr. Ewing in his retirement before returning to Marion County in 1993.

She was an active in the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority for more than 50 years, serving in various chapter, state and national offices and participating with the Shreveport alumnae group.  She was honored by the national society for her lifetime of service.

More than 20 of her retirement years were enjoyed at Lakeview on Potter’s Point, in Marion County, TX, where she was active in many civic organizations.  She was a founding board member of the Caddo Lake Historical Research Committee eventually serving for 6 years as president.  She was an active supporter of the Gray Volunteer Fire Department through the auxiliary.  As an appointed representative to the Cypress Valley Navigation District, she devoted many hours to their work which included instituting boat road markers throughout Caddo Lake.  She and Mr. Bill Bell prepared grave inventories and location maps of the Core, Potters Point and Gray Cemeteries for the Gray Cemetery Association.  She served as treasurer 8 years.  She was appointed to and enjoyed her service for the Marion County Historic Commission.  She used her skills as a master gardener to enhance her enjoyment of Caddo Lake and her property there as much as humanly possible.   

Janette loved the opera and all things musical.  She and Paul were accomplished square dancers in Caddo Parish environs for many seasons. 

An avid family historian and genealogist, she was a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy through her great-grandfather, Daniel Thomas Doyle who enlisted from Clarke County, Alabama, and died at the Battle of Vicksburg, July 4, 1863. Her 4xgreat grandfather, Silas Pace of GA, was a patriot of the American Revolution and her 9xgreat-grandfather and grandmother Richard and Isabel Smyth Pace were enumerated landowners in the settlement of Jamestown, VA, in the 1618 census.  She was an early member of the Pace Society of America, created in 1963.  

She lived her final 8 years with her sister, Geraldine Mason in Jefferson.  The family is much indebted to Geraldine and caregivers Wanda Craver, Doris Jackson, Mrs. Lessie Figures, niece Paula Powers and the Hospice care team for their loving care through these years.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 37 years, Paul; her parents; brother Vincent Eugene Pace of Mooringsport, LA, and his widow Lurline Anderson Pace; and sister Patricia Pace Brown, missionary to Ecuador for more than 30 years.  Janette’s survivors include her brother-in- law, The Reverend Milton R. Brown now of Lynchburg, VA; brothers Milton Floyd Pace and his wife Joyce Ashley Pace of Mont Belview, TX; The Reverend Curtis Lee Pace and wife Dolores Ashley Pace of Montgomery, AL; sisters Geraldine Pace Mason and Laura Omer Miller of Jefferson, TX.  She relished her role as Aunt to 13 nieces and nephews, 38 great nieces and nephews, always making time to pamper each during visits and family occasions which she often hosted in Houston and later at her home in the facility once called Lakeview Lodge on Caddo Lake.

The family will receive visitors at the Haggard Funeral Home in Jefferson beginning at 10 am on Friday, October 6, with funeral services at 11 under direction of the Haggard Funeral Home.  Burial will be at the Core Cemetery near Gray, TX

Pallbearers include: Vince Pace, Charles Pace, Brad Pace, David Bavlin, Nathan Scruggs and John Pease.