Janelle was born May 16, 1934, in Baytown, Texas. Her mother was Catherine Carroll, and her father was Samuel Carroll. Janelle’s husband of 65 years is Wesley Brink, and they were blessed with two sons, Kriss Brink and Patrick Brink. Janelle was pre-deceased by their little daughter, Kelley Kay Brink, and by her sister Kathy L. Hackett. Janelle’s direct family also includes her sisters Frances Turner, Neicie DeRousse, grandson Shane Brink, great granddaughter Gwenivere, as well as her daughter-in-law Cathy Brink (married to Patrick), and granddaughter Christine Huber.

Janelle grew up in Baytown, Texas, where she became the organist for St. John’s United Methodist Church at age 12 after taking organ lessons in downtown Houston the same year. She attended Baytown Lee High School and was nominated for the National Honor Society each consecutive year of her study. She lettered in the band on flute twice, held memberships in the G.S.A., the Press Club, S.S.L.C., and served as a reporter for the Band Officer’s Club. Before her senior year, Janelle worked as secretary for St. John’s Methodist Church and served as treasurer for the Young People’s sub-district organization, which was composed of members of all the Methodist churches in the Houston area. She graduated with honors in the top ten of her class, and attended Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas, where she was inducted into Phi Theta Theta Kappa national academic fraternity. After college, she went to work at Braniff Airlines.

Janelle met her husband Wesley on Thanksgiving Day, became engaged on New Year’s Day, and then married in May of 1957. They moved to Washington and California, as Wes worked in the oil and gas industry, and Janelle raised the children. When they returned to Baytown/Pasadena, they built a house in Forest Cove in the Humble-Kingwood area in 1969. Janelle played the organ and piano for several churches over the years, specifically at Humble Methodist Church and then at Kingwood United Methodist Church, where they were charter members. Jan went to work at Texas Commerce Bank for 20 years (now Chase Bank) when the kids were in Humble School District and after they were grown. After she retired from banking, she played the organ and piano at Friendship United Methodist Church for several years. One of her many joys was art. She painted numerous wonderful pieces for decades, mostly oil on canvas, and wrote hundreds of poetry pieces by hand, which also included art. She loved nature and her flowers and plants she grew on their acre for well over 50 years. She loved her cat, Chico (and many others from before), and of course her beloved rescue dog, a black lab named Middie.