Juanita Faye VanMeter

Juanita Faye VanMeter, age 85, passed away early Sunday morning, January 28, 2024 at Compass Healthcare and Rehab in Spencer, NC, with her niece at her side.

She was born February 25,1938 in Nitro, WV, a little town by the Kanawha River to Frank Ralph and Tressie Dellard King Wysong.

Juanita worked as Communications Supervisor for Grant Hospital and Telephone Operator for Mount Carmel East Hospital both in Columbus, Ohio.

Juanita and her husband, Van moved to NC after retirement and lived near her sister Peggy Jean Crews for years. They enjoyed many meals, conversations and outings together with Peggy’s family. Peggy’s oldest daughter, Pam became both of their caregivers after they each lost their husbands (James Crews and James VanMeter). Juanita was Pam’s matron of honor in her wedding in 1973 and they both had a mutual love of sweet tea, Japanese food and fondness for cats. Peggy passed away at age 91 leaving a huge hole in both Juanita and Pam’s lives. Pam’s two boys, Anson and Allyn enjoyed many meals and family get togethers with their Great Aunt Juanita and Van while they lived in NC. Anson passed away at age 47 in April 2023 before Juanita passed in January 2024.

Peggy was the oldest of the five children of Frank and Tressie Wysong with Juanita being the youngest. There were 3 boys in between them and their first brother, Lowell Ralph Wysong (lovingly known as Uncle Bus), passed away at age 79. He and his wife Margie have two children, Anthony (Tony) and Robin. They have both married and have their own children, but Robin remembers being able to hang out with Juanita in her apartment in Ohio and talking into the wee hours of the morning. They were both night owls and would stay up late. Without fail, Juanita would make Robin stay the night even though she only lived 15 minutes away. (Juanita had no children, but she loved on her nieces and nephews.) Margie (sister-in-law) remembers how Juanita loved old movies and her precious fur babies.

Their next brother Kenneth passed away at age 80 and his wife Ann at 79. Juanita enjoyed traveling with Ken, Ann and their 3 children, Barth, Braman and Wade while she lived and worked in Ohio. Eventually the boys married and more memories were made. Barth remembers when Juanita came to visit, she had to stop at Angie’s Pizza…..Always! Wade remembers when his Dad, Ken was in the hospital at Mount Carmel once where Juanita worked and she made a code blue announcement on him as a joke!

Their youngest brother, Ray passed away at age 87 only 3 months before Juanita. He was married to Bernice and they had two girls, Cindy and Debbie who say Juanita was always nice to them. Bernice remembers when she and Ray would visit Juanita that she always had a good meal and was a really good cook. Bernice went to church with Juanita when she visited and was so happy that she was a Christian and had a lot of friends at her church in NC.Juanita has two sisters-in-law, Kathy (David) Harris and Patti (Steve) Creasy which were her husband, James (Van to us) VanMeter’s sisters. Van was a Firefighter in and out of the Air Force and worked as Security Supervisor at Grant Hospital where he met Juanita in Telecommunications. The family says first and foremost they remember her devotion to her husband who was in poor health for many years after they moved in their later years to be close to family in NC. Juanita’s kitties were her “babies”.

This may seem like an unusual Obituary, but since there will be no memorial service due to no other family besides Pam in NC and traveling issues for others, this will serve as a sort of memorial.
The Hospice Chaplain was fond of Juanita and gave a liturgy for her in her room at Compass Healthcare. Pam made a pink satin cover for the bottom of a beautiful wooden box that was Grandma Wysong’s (Juanita’s mother). Juanita was placed into the space with her husband, Van in the Columbarium wall at the Salisbury National Cemetery February 8, 2024.

Carolina Cremation is assisting the VanMeter family. Online condolences may be made at www.carolinacremation.com.

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