Janet Ruth Hanson Jones, age 80 of St. Peter, died Monday, April 22, 2013 at her home surrounded by her family.
Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 27, 2013 at First Lutheran Church with Revs. Alan Bray and Don Holmstrom officiating. Burial will be at a later date. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m., Friday, April 26, 2013 at First Lutheran Church and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Memorials may be designated for the Ellis J. and Janet Hanson Jones Family Scholarship Endowment at Gustavus Adolphus College, the Music Program at First Lutheran Church in St. Peter or the donor's choice. St. Peter Funeral Home-Klein Chapel assisted the family with the arrangements.
Janet Ruth Hanson was born in Alvarado (Marshall County), Minnesota on March 10, 1933. When she was three years old, she moved with her family to Braham, MN where she attended Braham Public Schools graduating in 1950 as co-valedictorian. Janet received her Bachelor of Arts Degree cum laude from Gustavus Adolphus College with a major in Business Administration in 1954.
Janet married Ellis J. Jones of Cambria, MN on June 20, 1954 at Braham Evangelical Lutheran Church. It was on the 25th anniversary of her parents and the 54th Anniversary of her paternal grandparents. Janet worked in the correspondence Bureau at Dayton's Department Store in Minneapolis; as Secretary to the Superintendent of Schools, Plainview, MN; in the office of the College Library at Gustavus Adolphus College; as Office Supervisor for the Delta Pi Epsilon National Office in St. Peter, and for Johnson & Hoehn, CPA firm in St. Peter.
As a person with perfect pitch, discovered when she was four years old, she had a lifelong interest in music, especially vocal, having sung in church, school, and college choirs almost continually since 4th grade. Janet enjoyed collecting recipes and cooking, playing word games, attending her grandchildren's events, spending time at the family cabin in northern Minnesota, and watching her great granddaughters grow.
Janet is survived by her husband, Ellis; their children: Karen (Michael) Wojahn of Windom, and David (Kris) Jones of Minneapolis; three grandchildren; Paul (Jeni) Wojahn of Bloomington, Elizabeth (Michael) Feltes of Burnsville and Emily Wojahn of Washington DC; twin great-granddaughters Allison and Katelyn Wojahn; her brother, John (Jean) Hanson of Los Molinos CA; sister-in-law Ruth Jones Beutel of Mesa AZ and many nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents, W.E. and Edna Edelia Swan Hanson.