Mary Jane Janzen
1920 - 2018
Obituary
Mary Jane Janzen, 98, died Tuesday
(Nov. 6, 2018) at Kidron Bethel in North Newton. She was born June 4,
1920, to Dan B. and Anna (Schmidt) Schmidt at their rural Marion
County home. They preceded her in death. Growing up she attended
Marion County grade schools.
On Oct. 19, 1941, she married Edwin H.
Janzen at the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, Goessel. He preceded
her in death on July 5, 2015.
Mary Jane worked as a homemaker and
farmer's wife from 1948 to 1998. She also worked as a lunch room
employee in the grade school at Elbing and had been a school bus
driver. She loved to work in her flower and vegetable gardens and
canned much of the fruit and produce for her family. She also enjoyed
embroidering, making many items for friends and family along with
donating numerous items to the Mennonite Central Committee's annual
sale in Hutchinson.
She was a member of the Koerner Heights
Mennonite Brethren Church in Newton, singing in the church choir
since 1976. She had also sung in a women's sextet at Zion Mennonite
Church in Elbing. Mary Jane had a love of traveling and looked
forward to many trips she took with her husband. Her family was
important to her and she greatly enjoyed time spent with her loving
family and many friends.
She is survived by her daughters,
Bonita Schroeder of Burns, Carol Schrag of Newton and Kay Self of
Newton; and sons, Donnovan Janzen of Bessie, Oklahoma, and John
Janzen of Boise, Idaho. She had eight grandchildren and 13
great-grandchildren and was anxiously awaiting her 14th
great-grandchild.
Mary Jane is preceded in death by her
parents; husband; brothers: Walter D., Clarence W., Dannie and John
Schmidt; and two sisters, Martha Schmidt and Alice Janzen.
Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Tuesday
(Nov. 13, 2018) at Koerner Heights Church of the Mennonite Brethren
in Newton, with Pastor Dave Froese and Eric Massanari presiding.
Visitation will be 5 to 9 p.m. Monday (Nov. 12, 2018), with the
family receiving friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Petersen Funeral
Home. Burial will precede the memorial at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the
Greenwood Cemetery, Newton.
Memorials are suggested to Koerner
Heights Kitchen Fund in care of Petersen Funeral Home.
