Janetta Gale Wallace Belusko, a woman of unwavering strength, deep conviction, and tireless determination, passed away on February 18, 2025 at the age of 71. She faced life-and death-without fear, holding fast to her beliefs and looking forward to the moment she would reunite in spirit with her beloved daughter, Sarah.

Born on January 5, 1954 in Arkansas City, KS, Jan was never one to sit idly by in the face of perceived injustice or complacency. With a sharp mind and an unyielding will, she dedicated herself to the pursuit of knowledge and the study of social sciences, not out of idle curiosity, but as a means to understand, challenge, and improve the world as she saw it. Jan was a staunch advocate of education at all levels and a proud graduate of Oklahoma State University where she earned her Masters of Science in Sociology in 2006. Her ties to Stillwater and the university were rooted in her proud Gardenhire heritage and Jan would often recount how her great-great grandfather, George W. Gardenhire was responsible for the location of the university in Stillwater during his tenure as President of the Senate during the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature.

Jan saw problems where others ignored them, and rather than accept them as inevitable, she sought to set them right in her own unique way. Across a nearly 30 year career dedicated to working with underprivileged youth, Jan impacted countless lives in her work that began in Tulsa at Lakeside Youth Center and continued with the state agency, Juvenile Services Unit where she worked and ultimately retired from in 2010.

Her greatest personal accomplishment was the birth of her own children, Adam and Sarah, whom she raised with the same fierce determination that defined her life. She instilled in them not just resilience, but the critical thinking to push forward, and to never back down when something was worth fighting for. She was not one for empty platitudes or passive guidance-she openly advocated for what she felt was right and along with her ex-husband, Thomas, instilled in the children the power of psychological, emotional, and behavioral awareness.

Janetta's devotion to family extended beyond motherhood. She shouldered the often burdensome task of caring for ill family members, tackled challenges head-on, and never shied away from hard truths. She was a force to be reckoned with and her strength was positioned firmly in support of those she loved and the ideals she held dear.
She is survived by her son, Adam and his wife Emily, her brother Jack Dale Wallace and his wife Debby, as well as Jack and Debby's children True, Travis, and Trenton and their families, all who were deeply impacted by their mother, sister, and Aunt "Jani." Jan was preceded in death by her mother and father, as well as, her most precious daughter Sarah Rachel Belusko.

A small family gathering to honor Janetta's life will be held in the coming weeks and she will be entered into eternal rest at the Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Arkansas City, KS beside Sarah in the family plot. In accordance with her wishes, donations can be made to the Sarah R. Belusko Memorial Scholarship Fund through the Oklahoma State University Foundation at www.osugiving.com - Fund Number 22-90200.

Janetta Belusko did not fear death, for she knew it was not an end but a continuation-a step toward the reunion she had long awaited. Though she is gone from this world, her impact endures, as does the fire she lit in those who knew her.

As requested by Jan and in the words of the brilliant poet William Ernest Henley, from his poem "Invictus"
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

....It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.