Janice Marie Block of Thompson, Iowa, died Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018. Janice was born on a farm in Pandora, Ohio, on Feb. 20, 1927 to the parents of Daniel Lee Welty and Faery Manilla Welty (Balmer).
She graduated from Pandora High School as valedictorian of her class. She completed a bachelor’s degree in biology at Bluffton College where she was also May Queen.
She taught Hopi and Navajo children in Arizona for a summer following graduation, and then moved to Renwick, Iowa, to teach high school. During her time in Renwick she met Carroll Block, and they were married June 14, 1952, in Pandora. They lived in Honolulu, Hawaii, for the first year of marriage where Carroll completed dental residency and she continued to teach. They moved to Thompson, Iowa, where they made their home until 2013 and moved to Deerfield Assisted Living Place in Sheffield, Iowa.
Jan was a member of St. John Mennonite Church in Ohio and later joined Bethany Lutheran Church in Thompson.
Jan was active in her community with service on the Thompson Study Club, Birthday Club, Cub Scouts, Rescue Unit, Music Mothers, Quilt Club, Bridge Clubs, women’s ministries, church choir and other church ministries. She was instrumental in park beautification efforts in the Thompson City Park and grant writing to bring a swimming pool to town.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Carroll; her parents; son, Jamie; and brothers, Gary, Art, Frank, Evan, Tom; and sisters, Elaine and Sandra.
She is survived by one brother, Wes (Jean) Welty; sister-in-law, Bonnie Welty; daughter, Laurie (Rick) DeGroot; son, Dan (Laura) Block; sister-in-law, Eva Steiner; brother-in-law, Dr. Kenneth Block; grandchildren: David, Thomas, and AnnaMarie Block, Andrea (Rick) Kohler, and Janna (Charlie) Dickman; great-grandchildren: Preslee, Max, and Fynlee Dickman, Isla, Kaia and Autumn Kohler; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service organized by Schroeder and Sites Funeral Home will be held at Bethany Lutheran Church, Thompson on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. with Pastor Rod Hopp officiating. Visitation will be held at the church before the service starting at 1 p.m.
Memorial donations will be shared with the community and church.
