A Memorial Service for Jan and John Hendrickson of Early, IA, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at the United Methodist Church in Early. Visitation will take place on Friday, April 12, 2024, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Farber & Otteman Funeral Funeral Home in Sac City, IA. Burial will take place in the Oakland Cemetery in Sac City. John passed away at the age of 80 on Thursday, February 29, 2024, and Jan at the age of 78 on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, both at Holstein Senior Living in Holstein, IA.
The family requests that guests wear their favorite IOWA HAWKEYE apparel to the service on the 13th.
Jan Hendrickson, age 78 of Early, IA, passed away surrounded by her family on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at Holstein Senior Living in Holstein, IA. Janis Charleen Huehl was born on July, 15, 1945, to parents Laverne and Ester (Wirtjes) Huehl in Sac City, IA. She grew up on a farm outside of Sac City and attended country school before attending Sac City Elementary School. Jan graduated from Sac City High School with the class of 1963. She was baptized and confirmed at the United Methodist Church in Sac City.
After graduating high school, Jan attended college in Des Moines, IA, earning her Associate Degree in Business. On August 29, 1965, Jan married John Hendrickson at the United Methodist Church in Sac City. Just a few short months later, John was drafted into the United States Army and was sent to Viet Nam. Jan joined John in Maryland, which is where he was stationed once back to the states in 1967. He was honorably discharged so they moved back home and were soon blessed with a son, Jason.
Jan worked as a secretary at Noble Manufacturing until it closed its doors in 1983. She then started working as a secretary at the Sac County Engineer’s office and worked there until retiring in 2010.
Jan and John raised Jason on a farm across the road from John’s home place. They renovated the old home which was a major undertaking but was well worth it as Jason and his wife, Darcie, now live there. Jan and John loved the farm as it meant being surrounded by nature’s beauty. There was never a shortage of flowers to be found blooming in the spring as Jan loved planting them and planted many annuals as well. She loved tending to all of them. The two of them also enjoyed bird watching and had many bird feeders spread throughout the farm.
Jan was quite talented when it came to crafting. She and a friend, Norma Wood, owned and operated a ceramics shop for several years together as a hobby. Jan also crafted beautiful wreaths and other things such as needlework and crocheted pieces to sell at craft fairs. Herself, John, and Jason spent many weekends loading up the van with their handmade goods to sell to customers all over.
Camping was something that the three of them did a lot of. They pulled their camper to California, Montana, and many other places but also enjoyed camping locally with friends. They loved traveling and visited many places over the years including trips to Branson, MO, and Eureka Springs, AR, to name a few. One year, for her birthday, John surprised Jan with a trip to see Celine Dion in Las Vegas. He had it all planned out and even packed her things ahead of time for her. Jan knew nothing about it and was very pleasantly surprised. Jan enjoyed golfing. She and John traveled to all but Alaska and Maine to golf as their goal was to golf in all fifty states. Jan played in ladies league on Thursday nights at the Sac Country Club; she always looked forward to this as it meant spending time with some of her closest friends. She was part of an elite group at the country club as she made a hole in one at the course, an experience she was quite proud of!
We mustn’t forget to mention that Jan was a bit of an Iowa Hawkeye fan. She and John were season ticket holders for nineteen years. One of those years they followed the team, not missing a single game whether it was at home or away. They almost always attended the bowl games as well. “The word is FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! for Iowa, let every loyal Iowan sing, FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! for Iowa, until the walls and rafters ring (GO HAWKS!) come on and cheer, cheer, cheer for Iowa, come on and cheer until you hear the final gun, the word is FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! for Iowa, until the game is won.”
Jan loved her family, her friends, and God’s beautiful surroundings she awoke to every morning on the farm. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Survivors include son, Jason (Darcie) Hendrickson of Early, IA; sisters-in-law Jane (Marvin) Meusburger of Spencer, IA, and Rose Mary (John) Wheeler of Kansas City, MO; nieces Brenda (John) Olerich of Lake View, IA, and Kristy Huehl of Atlantic, IA; other extended family members and friends.
Jan was preceded in death by her husband, John Hendrickson; parents Laverne and Ester Huehl; brother Jerry Huehl; great-niece Chrystal Olerich; parents-in-law Preston and Margaret Hendrickson; and brothers-in-law David (Nancy) Hendrickson and Dan Hendrickson.
