Janelle Echo Lattimore Fullbright crossed over Jordan on December 10, 2016, in her home, in the Akins/Miller Ridge Community. Her family and fur babies surrounded her.
She was born on December 11, 1945 to S. Loyd Lattimore and Juanita Garvin Lattimore. The youngest of three children she excelled in school and graduated from Central High School. After graduating from high school she followed in her parents footsteps and earned a bachelors degree in education from Northeastern State University and then later a masters degree. She proceeded to educate students at the school she graduated from until the time of her retirement from teaching. She was a cherished teacher among her students sponsoring 4-H and introducing them to literature particularly Anne of Green Gables.
After retiring from education Janelle was appointed by Cherokee Nation Chief Joe Byrd to the Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission. She was a proud Cherokee living her whole life on her family’s Cherokee ancestral land so when asked to serve she did so happily protecting the tribe’s gaming funds. After her tenure on the Gaming Commission she announced her bid for Cherokee Tribal Council. Janelle soundly won that election and served two terms on the Tribal Council serving the Cherokees of Sequoyah County.
During her tenure on the Cherokee Tribal Council she served in many capacities including Chair of the Health Committee, a position she took very seriously wanting all Cherokee women to have access to the same healthcare she had received. She was chosen by her peers to be the Deputy Speaker of the Tribal Council because of her statesmanship and ability to bring civility and diplomacy to the Council Chamber. Of her many public accomplishments she was most proud of bringing a dialysis center to the Redbird Smith Health Center in Sallisaw. Her other notable public accomplishments include: re-establishing the Cherokee Nation Housing Authority, expanding the Cherokee Casino at Roland, and raising the Cherokee Nation Higher Education Scholarship so all Cherokees could enjoy the privilege of an education.
Chief Bill John Baker awarded Janelle the Cherokee Nation Statesman award in 2015 for her service to the Cherokee people. He then appointed her to the Cherokee Nation Business Board a position she held until her passing, protecting the assets of the Cherokee Nation to her very end.
She was a very civic minded and community oriented person. Janelle was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Sallisaw, where she taught Sunday school for many years. She was also a charter member of the 14 Flags Heritage Club and a member of the Sequoyah County Historical Society and helped write a book about the history of Sequoyah County. Janelle was a dedicated donor to local animal shelters, and lover of dogs and cats especially her own. The family would ask that any memorials be sent to one of the above organizations in lieu of flowers.
Of her many career accomplishments Janelle was most proud of her family. She married “the best looking man in Sequoyah County”, Alfred Fullbright March 26, 1964 whom she leaves to mourn her passing. Her most important role in life was that of Mother. She was utterly devoted to her two children Natalie and Cody Fullbright who will mourn her for the rest of their lives. She also leaves to mourn her a son-in-law, Steven Ostrander, whom she loved greatly and whose presence in her children’s lives gave her great comfort in her final days. She will also be greatly missed by her dogs: Buster, Buddy, Blue Boy, and Sunday and her grandogs and grandcats: Duke, Tess, Cecil, and Wesa. Janelle was a great lover of animals and treated her pets like family
She dearly loved her family and will also be greatly missed by: her sister Barbara Fine, her sister-in- law Freda Lattimore, her prized nephews Trad Lattimore and Ted Fine and their wives Cindy Lattimore and Cathi Fine, her great-nephews Trajan and Tegan Lattimore and Tyler Fine, her great-niece Anna Fine, her aunts Jean Ales and Echo Rider, a mother-in-law Lois Fullbright, a brother-in law Billy Fullbright and his wife Judy, a brother-in-law Dennis Fullbright and his wife Rita, her brother-in-law Roy Fullbright, her nephew Tyler Fullbright, and her nephew Scott Fullbright. Janelle will also be missed by a host of family and friends.
She will be welcomed in Heaven by: her parents, her beloved brother Gary Lattimore, her brother-in-law Jack Fine, and her Uncle George and Ma Miller.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday December 14, 2016 at 10 o’clock in the morning at Immanuel Baptist Church in Sallisaw. Visitation with the family will occur from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Tuesday December 13, 2016 at the Akins Baptist Church in Sallisaw. Internment will be at the Akins Cemetery with a funeral dinner to follow at the Akins Baptist Church. Services are under the direction of Ocker-Putman funeral home in Fort Smith.
Pallbearers will be: Ted Fine, Tyler Fine, Trad Lattimore, Trajan Lattimore, Tegan Lattimore, and Ronnie Amos.
Honorary Pallbearers include: The women of the Lattimore and Garvin families, Bill Lattimore, Robert Lattimore, Gary Don Lattimore, Sam Lattimore, Terry Wayne Lattimore, Randy Davidson, Steve Garvin, Bradley Nance, Gus Fullbright Sr., The members of the Cherokee Nation Business Board, Shawn Slayton, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker, Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief S. Joe Crittenden, Former Cherokee Nation Principal Chief and present Speaker of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council Joe Byrd, Cherokee Nation Attorney General Todd Hembree, Councilman Curtis Snell, Councilman David Thornton Sr., Former Cherokee Nation Speaker of the Council Tina Glory-Jordan, Former Cherokee Nation Councilwoman Jodie Fishinghawk, Rex Earl Starr, Dr. Schuyler Steelberg, Bill Horton, Bob Barbee, Jenny Kolp, Patti Prewett, Rodney Prewett, Scott and Kathy Ostrander, Curtis and Helen McGlothlin, Tom Stites, Bradley Cullum, Sam Ed Bush Jr., Shannon Fischer, Cleland Edwards, Julie Henderson, Bill Langley, Joan Stephens, Charles Miller, Don Miller, June Flute, Bonnie Sue Henson.

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