Janet M. Owen

Janet M. (Stitzel) Owen, age 81, of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, died on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at Saint Francis Hospital in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Janet was born on February 28, 1944 in Guthrie, Oklahoma to Marvin and Oleatha Stitzel.

She grew up in Guthrie and graduated from Guthrie High School. She also attended the University of Central Oklahoma for two years before spending several years raising three boys and a daughter. She loved to travel and when she and her husband retired in 2000, they traveled in their RV to interesting places all across the USA (including a thirty year anniversary trip to Hawaii and a RV trip through Alaska), most of Canada and three different parts of Mexico where they made many friends all over North America. Janet also enjoyed playing cards with friends at the weekly card games in Cookson, Oklahoma. She enjoyed reading and spending time with her family and friends.

Janet retired from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She had previously worked for the State of Oklahoma, the Federal Aviation Agency, and the Daily Oklahoman in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma before moving to Houston, Texas where she worked for GSA and the U.S. Attorney's Office while living there. When her husband transferred to Tulsa to become Postmaster, she transferred to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Tulsa where both retired in early 2000. After traveling for seven years, she took on the task of raising two granddaughters through four years of High School and two years of college while working part-time at Hobby Lobby in Muskogee, Oklahoma. She was there for ten years where she again retired.

She is preceded in death by her parents; her daughter, Tamara Sue Owen; her sister, Trena (Stitzel) Allen; and her brother-in-law, Donald Ray Allen, Sr.

Janet is survived by her husband, Philip M. Owen, Sr. of Fort Gibson; three sons, Philip Owen, Jr. of Guthrie, David Owen and wife, Stacie of Piedmont, Oklahoma, and Scott Owen of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; one sister, Donna Dee (Stitzel) Wohler and brother-in-law, Kent Wohler of Yukon, Oklahoma; brother-in-law, William R. Owen of Mesquite, Texas; brother-in-law, Dale E. and Cynthia Owen of Perry, Oklahoma; five granddaughters, one grandson, four great-granddaughters, two great-grandsons, one great-great-grandson as well as several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Graveside funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Saturday, November 29, 2025 at Summit View Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Smith-Gallo Funeral Home, 220 North 1st Street, Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044.

Visitation will be held Friday, 3:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. at Smith-Gallo Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her name to the Alzheimer's Foundation.

Friends may sign the online guestbook at www.smithgallo.com.