Jeanniene “Billie” Ann Lanier

Jeannine “Billie” Ann Lanier was born in Bend, Oregon on June 29th, 1930, and died on September 5th
2025. Her parents, Vernita “Toots” and Lloyd Parker had a dairy, hay, and potato farm. Perhaps wishing
for sons, Lloyd nicknamed his eldest daughter, “Billie”, and her little sister (Irene Pederson), “Sami”.
Billie and Sami lived up to their nicknames, helping on the farm, driving a team of horses to bring in
the hay, and sorting potatoes to sell to the government during the war years. In 1936, Jeannine, as she
was properly called by the Nuns, was in the first class at Saint Francis School in Bend.
She took music lessons there, piano, then violin. Her parents bought her a basic standard student model
violin, and she promptly named “him” Henri. As it turned out, Henri was her lifelong companion. Billie
went to high school at Saint Mary's in The Dalles, then to Marylhurst College on a music scholarship
for classical violin. In addition to her other studies, she and Henri practiced up to 8 hours a day.
Returning home from college for summer vacation, Billie met and fell in love with the dancing feet of
her dad's newest farm hand, the handsome red-headed Gerald Lanier. Billie and Gerald married in
1950. Always a team, they cleared almost all of their 160 acres of rock, sage, and juniper to create
pastures and fields. They built a raw milk dairy, raised hay, and their kids on Nelson Road. Billie found
time to occasionally play in the orchestra for community plays, but in 1960, a car crash left her with
severe neck pain. Reluctantly, she put Henry away and got on with life.
Billie took an office job as a receptionist for doctors William and Quas, finding it easier than farm
work. After the kids left home, Billie and Gerald moved on to ranching on the Crooked River, upstream
of Prineville, growing beautiful alfalfa and beef cattle. In 1980, the Prineville Parish priest inspired
Billie to contribute her time and talent to the church music ministry. She had to start over, squeaking
out twinkle twinkle little star.
She persevered. Henry was promoted from violin to fiddle as Billie was drawn to Scandinavian and
Bavarian music, swing, and country fiddle tunes. You might remember her and her friends, a group that
used to play at the High Desert Museum. Billie always had a special bond with her musical friends who
joined her playing in churches, bars, jamborees, retirement homes, and backyard picnics. She played
for every parish she lived in.
Billie and Gerald enjoyed Deer and Elk hunting, and horse packing to the high lakes. Gerald bought
Billie a mule for Mother's Day so she wouldn't have to carry a pack and would never get lost. A mule
always knows the way back to his grain bucket at the trailhead. Billie was delighted.
They enjoyed several trips to Alaska to visit daughter Marianne and some winter trips to the Southwest.
Billie was an excellent cook, the maker of legendary corn muffins, hotcakes, baked chicken, pickles,
and raspberry jelly. In her tiny ranch kitchen, she enjoyed cooking for her family and friends.
Sometimes there would be so many of us that benches and a sheet of plywood were brought in to
extend the table. Billie loved a full table.
After a decade or so of ranching, Billie and Gerald started remodeling homes in La Pine and Burns.
They took great pride in making each of their projects beautiful. Wherever Billie lived, she put in a
garden and landscaping. It was hard work, but she considered it to be a relaxing hobby, her playtime.
Gerald passed away in 2006 in Burns about the same time as her friend Mary Lemos. Grieving their
spouses, Billie and Mary's husband (Jim Lemos) were mutually supportive. They became great
friends, and dear companions. Billie eventually downsized and moved from Burns to Prineville to be
near her son Michael, sister Sami and daughter Kathy. On her last day of moving, she tripped on a curb

breaking a hip and a wrist. Surgery followed, her hip was repaired and her wrist was fused. While she
healed quickly, arthritis set in and sadly, she lost the dexterity to play Henri. She continued with her
love of toe tapping music and the joy of sharing her musical knowledge with great grandchildren.

Billie was preceded in death by her parents “Toots” and Lloyd Parker, husband Gerald, son Michael,
dear friend Jim Lemos, and sister Sami Pedersen. She is survived by her daughter Kathy (Mike) Kutansky, daughter Marianne (Jon) Bennett, 5 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren, daughter-in-Law Kathy Lanier, former daughter-in-law Judi Scharf and her 3 children and their families who also call Billie “Grandma”, many nieces and nephews, and her longtime friend Alice Elshoff.
Henri lives on in care of Billie’s great-granddaughter Ayla.

There will be a Funeral Mass on September 24, 2025 at 12:00pm at St. Joseph Catholic Church (150 E 1st St Prineville, OR 97754).

Donations can be made in Billie's name to St. Joseph Catholic Church.

https://giving.parishsoft.com/App/Form/ced66cf1-ca36-4cd3-b546-a6bea4292a81

Safely Home

 I am home in Heaven, dear ones;

Oh, so happy and so bright!

There is perfect joy and beauty

In this everlasting light.

All the pain and grief is over,

Every restless tossing passed;

I am now at peace forever,

Safely home in Heaven at last.

Did you wonder I so calmly

Trod the valley of the shade?

Oh! but Jesus' love illumined

Every dark and fearful glade.

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