Janice Hagemeister

1941 - 2025

Janice Marie Hagemeister (Miller) was born December 13th, 1941 in Waterloo, Iowa to Walter Miller and Lois Truax Miller. Her mother Lois died from polio in June 1948, when Jan was only 6 years old. In 1949, her family moved to Oregon to be with other family members who were already here, and their Truax/Miller clan eventually settled in Crabtree, Oregon. Her father remarried in 1950 to Eva Plumlee Miller. Jan attended Griggs School, a one room school with levels kindergarten through 8th grade. Then she went on to attend Albany Union High School (now West Albany) where she graduated in 1959. She attended college for two years and also worked at Wah Chang mill as a secretary. She married John Summers in 1963 and they had a daughter, Stacey in July 1965. John and Jan divorced in early 1968. At that time she was a secretary at KatTrak, a company that built rough terrain vehicles. It was there she met Kermit Hagemeister who also worked there. They married October 11, 1968. Together they had two children, Lori in 1970 and Dan in 1972. They lived in Seal Rock, Oregon from 1969 to 1976. In the summer of 1976 they moved to Lebanon, Oregon where they remained for many years. After 23 years of marriage, Jan and Kermit divorced, (though they remained good friends until he passed in 2008) and Jan moved to Albany. She bought a home there in 1992 and remained there until her death. (With the exception of 8 months at Brookdale Senior Living December 2024 to August 2025).

Jan began working at OSU in the late 1970s in the payroll dept. and then eventually in the research accounting dept. as an accountant. She plugged away at her college degree while raising kids and working full time. In 1996 she graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration at the age of 54. She had the biggest, brightest smile out of all the graduates she walked with that day. Her proud family was there to cheer her great accomplishment! She retired from OSU in 2003 at the age of 62.

Retirement was just her starting point in many ways, she was involved with many different organizations and hobbies afterwards: her church, quilting, Volkswalkers, Geneology Society, Modern Travelers, the Truax Association and more. She traveled to many places around the country and abroad with dear friends and family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Lois and Walter, her sister Jayne, two of her children, Stacey and Danny, and her ex-husband and dear friend, Kermit. She is survived by her only remaining daughter Lori, her grandchildren Tyson, Meghan and Jacob, and her great grandchildren Ally, Jameson, Lilly, Jolene and Benjamin. Plus many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.

Jan passed peacefully in her home, with her daughter Lori holding her hand on November 19 at 8:14 a.m. She was a prime example of a beautiful life well lived, and she will be dearly missed by many.

Memorial service to be held Friday, December 12th at 2 p.m. First Christian Church. Albany, OR.