Mary Jane Janzen 98, died Tuesday November 6, 2018 at Kidron Bethel Healthcare in North Newton, Kansas. 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 October 19, 1941 she married Edwin H. Janzen at the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, Goessel, KS. He preceded her in death on July 5, 2015. Mary Jane worked as a homemaker and farmers wife from 1948 to 1998. She also worked as a lunch room employee in the grade school at Elbing, Kansas and had been a school bus driver. She loved to work in her flower and vegetable gardens and canned much of their 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, KS. 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, Ks. Mary Jane had a love of traveling and looked forward 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, Kansas; Carol Schrag of Newton, Kansas and Kay Self of Newton, Kansas; sons: Donnovan Janzen of Bessie, Oklahoma and John Janzen of Boise, Idaho. Newton, Kansas. She has 8 Grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren and was anxiously awaiting her 14th great grandson.
Mary Jane is preceded in death by her parents, Husband, brothers: Walter D., Clarence W, Dannie and John Schmidt and two sister’s Martha Schmidt and Alice Janzen.
Funeral service will be 11:00 a.m., Tuesday November 13th at Koerner Heights Church of the Mennonite Brethren in Newton, Kansas with Pastor Dave Froese and Eric Massanari presiding. Visitation will be 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday with the family receiving friends from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Petersen Funeral Home. Burial will precede the memorial at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Greenwood Cemetery Newton, Kansas.
Memorials are suggested to Koerner Heights Kitchen Fund in care of Petersen Funeral Home.
Mary Jane always considered my mother, her cousin, one of her best friends. Thinking so much of your family.
How very sweet it was to have known Aunt Mary Jane!
Blessings to all!
Katie, you have my deepest sympathy in the loss of your mother. Her obituary reads of a life well-lived! May good memories bring comfort in the coming days. Earthly life complete, eternal life begins!
There are fond memories of getting the families together on your farm. Folks always shared about the times they and Edwin and Mary Jane would going out together. Now they’re together again having coffee.