Jeanette McDermott passed away Sunday, April 24, 2022.
Jeanette was a multifaceted and very loved person by not only her family but by many people in her community. She was not only a loving and blessed mother of four children, 7 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren but she was a loyal wife, an avid church goer who sang solos regularly in church, at weddings and at funerals for many folks who sought her out over the years. As if that was not enough to keep her plate full, she was also a lab technician for a gastroenterologist, Dr. Robert Berger for approximately 25 years until she retired and moved to Ft. McCoy, Florida with her now deceased husband, Charles Nichols where they enjoyed their retirement together for many years in the peaceful country side. A couple of years after Charles passing, she married Paul McDermott until his passing 10 years later. He was an interesting addition to the family to say the least.
Jeanette grew up in Humboldt, TN where she realized in her later years that what she thought was a poor life because they didn’t have much money was actually a very rich existence and that they didn’t even notice there was a depression. She and her sister and mother lived with her grandparents along with other relatives on a property where her grandfather created and nurtured a garden that was a city block long. He rented a place where they lived free of charge because he apparently had negotiated some kind of barter deal with the owners.
Neighbors brought them honey regularly. Her mother Odie sewed all her cloths which were the outfits that were in style at the time. Jeanette was given voice lessons throughout her childhood. They had pigs and chickens and large family gatherings every weekend where the children would play games like Red Rover and such and yes, they did eat a lot of potatoes and mom remembered peeling a lot of potatoes as that was her job in the household. Her town had and does still to this day have parades every year. She said that the education she received in Humboldt was outstanding and that all her teachers were God fearing, kind and creative people.
Anyone close to Jeanette knew that she was an avid reader who loved to read Christian romance novels and just about anything she could get her hands on even the junk mail. When she was very old with vision issues, she just kept reading w a magnifying glass. One of her favorite things to read in her old age was the Upper Room digest and of course the bible she read daily. Jeanette loved God and wanted everyone she knew to know Him as she did and did have a major impact for good in the lives of many folks in many different ways yet did not bring attention to herself.
When hospitalized before her final days, the nurse said that she had more visitors than any patient in the history of the hospital. Jeanette was survived by her son Stephen Nichols, Anita Gale Nichols and Judy Nichols and preceded in death by her son Roger Nichols, Charles Nichols and Paul McDermott. Her grandchildren all of who she bragged about regularly were Christina Marie Nichols, Shawn Nichols, Roger Jr. Nichols, Nicole Nichols, Jason Nichols, Tarryn Nichols and Jennifer Nichols. Jeanette loved all her family with all her heart and prayed for each one of them regularly.