Janis Elaine Ross (née Colley), affectionately known by her family as “Mam,” passed away peacefully on July 07, 2026, at the Greg & Noreen Wells Hospice Center in Hazard, Kentucky, at the age of 87. In her final moments, she was surrounded by the love that defined her life, with her grandchildren, Tyler and Sarah, by her side.

Born on July 31, 1938, in Welch, West Virginia, Mam was the daughter of the late Arris Jack Colley and Ruby Nell Hewlett. She graduated Harlan High School in 1956, and kept up with her fellow Green Dragon alumni throughout her life. In 1957, Janis married Ronald Ross shortly after he joined the Army. The young couple spent two years in Verdun, France, during his military service, before returning home to Harlan to build a life centered on family. In Harlan she was a long-time, familiar face, serving for many years as a clerk for the Harlan County PVA.

Mam’s home in Harlan was the true heart of the family. When Tyler and Sarah were growing up, summers and Christmas vacations were always spent at her house. Those trips were defined by simple, unforgettable joys: her legendary prime rib that served as the crown jewel of the holiday season, crispy fried chicken during the warm summer months, and sitting on the front porch with a good beer and card game. In her later years, Janis lived with her daughter and son-in-law, and until her death, resided at The Laurels Personal Care Home, whose staff lovingly cared for "Granny."

Mam always reminded those she loved just how much she cared about them. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ronald Ross, and her cherished daughter, Tracy Cathryn Tagmeyer. She is survived by her son-in-law, Craig Tagmeyer of Harlan; her grandson, Tyler Ross Zell and his wife, Erica; her granddaughter, Sarah Elizabeth Cahill, her husband Joe, and their daughter, Maddie.

Services honoring Janis’ life are being handled by Anderson-Laws & Jones Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held at Resthaven Cemetery, 3000 Highway 840, Baxter, Kentucky, on Saturday, September 26, at 11 AM. She will then be laid to rest beside her beloved husband, Ronald.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Janis's memory to the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky, online at https://medicine.uky.edu/centers/sbcoa/donor-opportunities

Please feel free to leave a condolence or memory at www.aljfh.com

Janis Elaine Ross and her family are in the care of the Anderson-Laws & Jones Funeral Home.