Janice Elaine Ellis, our wonderful mother, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2024, surrounded by her family who loved her with all their hearts. As heartbreaking as it was to watch Jan struggle with her dementia diagnosis, our family learned to meet her where she was in her journey. Simply put, the one thing that has never been and will never be forgotten is her love.
Jan was born on December 26, 1939, in Elk River, Minnesota, one of ten children of Leo and Antonia DeMars. Birthdays after Christmas were never a happy day for her, but we always made it a point to celebrate them in a big way. As if December wasn’t special enough, she decided to marry the love of her life, Lowell Ellis, on New Year’s Eve 1960 after they met at a dance at the Kato Ballroom. She borrowed her sister Jackie’s wedding dress and made it official so she could follow Lowell to Utah after he was drafted into the Vietnam War.
Jan and Lowell moved back to Minnesota and chose Waseca as the perfect place to raise their three children, Todd, Diane and Shelly. Jan worked for a short time at Brown Printing before finding her niche as a born homemaker. Her days were filled with the joy of raising her children, making the best home-cooked meals and taking care of their home. Their quaint home on the southeast side of town brings back memories of visiting neighbors on the patio, watching Vikings games on the porch and campfires in the driveway where she often had one glass of wine too many.
The family cabin on Madison Lake was another place where many memories were made. From pontoon rides to relaxing on the beach. She enjoyed the simple things like casting a line to catch fish with her grandson or watching the sunset. At the same time, she was always up for an adventure. Brave enough to hop on the jet ski and take a spin around the lake when one of her grandchildren insisted.
When Lowell retired, they spent winters at Holiday Village in Pharr, Texas, where three of her sisters owned houses next to each other. There were many happy hours and everyone enjoyed days where she could stay somewhere until five in the evening. She cherished the time she spent with her husband and sisters.
Jan was known in the community as an avid Waseca Bluejay sports fan. In fact, she and her close friends reserved seats in the center row at Bluejays home games. These diehard fans were recognized and honored by the basketball program for their dedication to the athletes and the school. As a season ticket holder, Jan followed the athletes as if they were her own, cheering them on and celebrating their successes.
Her love for Waseca didn’t end there. Jan was first in line for tickets to the Waseca Choir Variety Show to secure the best seats. The night before the Waseca Marching Classic, her chair was set up on Main Street. And on Thursday nights, she was probably the first to attend the Yellow Mushroom Pizza Special. Her mornings were spent catching up on local news and gossip with her coffee group at McDonald’s, always ordering a small Diet Coke since coffee wasn’t her thing. She was often one of the first there and made sure to save a table for all of her friends. Here, breakfast often turned into lunch, which then turned into dessert at a friend’s house. Always on the move, Jan spent late mornings with her workout group at Snap Fitness. She was a fan of all things Waseca.
Perhaps Jan’s most admirable quality was that she always made sure everyone was taken care of before she took care of herself. She did attendance checks and made sure everyone had a comfortable seat for their visit. She cared for her family, loved her grandchildren and their visits. She was known to make sure you were fed when you stopped by. No one went hungry at Grandma’s house!
Jan has lived at The Pillars in Mankato for the last three years where she continued to pursue her love of music and dance. She kept busy with the weekly live music and events. Jan kept up with tradition and participated in a royal dance at The Pillars Prom when she was crowned Prom Queen. Jan also teamed up with her sister and joined the Singing Hills Choir where she made great music and friends. As expected, she developed a great group of friends at The Pillars, later referred to by others as the Golden Girls.
Jan is survived by her children Todd (Shelly) Ellis and Shelly (Tony) Dunkin; her sisters Pat (Tony) Staloch and Kathy (Tom) Wright; her grandchildren Joel (Jacklyn) Wolfe, Clay (Kailee) Ellis, Nate (Cassie) Ellis, Justin (Taylor) Wolfe, Madison (Leigha) Forshee and Meg (Joe) Hoisington; and her great-grandchildren Rhett Wolfe, Emmett Ellis, Jozie Wolfe, Cecelia Wolfe, Evelyn Wolfe, Elsie Ellis, Delainey Ellis, Emmie Wolfe, Oakley Forshee and Micah Hoisington.
Jan is survived by her parents Leo and Antonia DeMars, her husband Lowell Ellis, her daughter Diane Wolfe, her sisters Darlene (Bob) Kulseth, Joyce (Bud) Hill, Donna (Jack) Danberry, Rose Marie Loeffler (Jim), Shirley (Jimmy) Fitzloff and Jackie (Mark) Haley, her brother Luverne (Hazel) DeMars, her sister-in-law Barb Ellis (Dennis Peterson) and her great-grandchildren Wyatt Wolfe and Isla Wolfe.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at The Pillars of Mankato, St. Croix Hospice and Dimensions Director Erin Johnson for their compassion and support.
Join us in celebrating the wonderful life of Janice Elaine Ellis on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at State Street Chapel in Waseca. We will celebrate her in her own way: with conversation, wine, charcuterie and live music. After the social hour, there will be a prayer service and a tribute to Jan’s life at 7:00 p.m.
