Dr. Janet S. Bumgarner
1954 — 2016
Dr. Janet S. Bumgarner, daughter of John L. and Thais A. (Haley) Parilek, was born on November 28, 1954 in Omaha, Neb. She entered into eternal peace on Monday, August 8, 2016 at the age of 61 years, 8 months, 11 days at the Shenandoah Medical Center following a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Her early childhood was spent growing up in Waterloo, Neb. The family later moved to Elgin, where Janet spent the latter part of her childhood through her high school years. She attended Pope John XXIII High School, graduating with the Class of 1973. She then attended the University of Nebraska, receiving her undergraduate degree in 1977. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa. On June 11, 1977, Janet was united in marriage to the love of her life, Donald Lee Bumgarner in Elgin. They had two children, Benjamin J. (BJ) and Jessica (Jess) were born.
Following their marriage Janet attended Medical School at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in Omaha, receiving her MD degree in 1980. Both Janet and Don enlisted in the US Army as physicians. They spent three years at Ft. Gordon in Augusta, Georgia from 1980 – 1983 and three years at Ft. Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma from 1983 – 1986. Dr. Janet reached the rank of Major in the Army Medical Corps.
They made Shenandoah their home in 1986. Dr. Janet moved to Shenandoah when her daughter, Jessica, was 2 weeks old. She worked for various employers over the years from 1986 through 2016 at the Shenandoah Medical Center as a family physician. She worked in association with Dr. Floyd Jones, for Clarkson Hospital, for Nebraska Medicine (under various names), and Shenandoah Medical Center. She served as the Page County Medical Examiner for years and was the SMH Hospice Director.
Through the years she greatly impacted the lives of her many patients and their families as well as her co-workers with her vast knowledge of medicine and personal, kind and caring dedication to improving the quality of life of everyone around her. She delivered many babies in Shenandoah. She really enjoyed caring for the full range of ages from newborns to centenarians. All she ever wanted to be was a family doctor in a small town.
Away from work, Janet enjoyed knitting, bird watching, astronomy, gardening and reading. Janet was a avid Nebraska Cornhusker football fan. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Shenandoah. She was also active in PEO (DN Chapter), Gamma Phi Beta Sorority,
American Academy of Family Practice and the ravelry.com Breast Cancer Support Group.
Preceding Janet in death were her parents, John L. and Thais Parilek; and brother, John Richard Parilek. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Donald L. Bumgarner of Shenandoah; daughter, Jessica A. Bumgarner of Shenandoah; son, Dr. Benjamin J. Bumgarner and his wife, Elizabeth Hilpipre, of Omaha; sister, Mary R. Roberts of Waukegan, IL; nephew, Bryan Roberts and his wife, Lisa, and two sons of Highland Park, IL; nephew, Sean Roberts of Chicago, IL; niece, Jennifer Roberts of Chicago, IL; cousin, Jim Sanders of Clayton, GA; and other cousins, relatives, and many friends.
