Janet Manning

Janet Manning 81 of Brashear, Missouri passed away Saturday, November 11, 2023 at Landmark Hospital in Columbia, Missouri.

The daughter of Frederick and Mildred (Schirr) Kraushaar, she was born July 27, 1942 in St. Louis, Missouri. On August 5, 1968 in Hawaii, she was united in marriage to Thomas Manning.

Janet is survived by her husband, Thomas; one son, Thomas Manning of Brashear, MO; one daughter, Sarah Almond and husband James of Clovis, CA; three grandchildren, Michael Almond, Cassidy Almond and Margaret Almond; her twin brother, Jerald Kraushaar and wife Judy of Whitsett, NC; and two cousins, Sandy Okayabashi of Springfield, VA and Steve Chadwick and wife Mindy, of Decatur, IL.

She was preceded in death by her parents and Rod Okayabashi.

Janet grew up in St. Louis until she was in high school where she met Thomas who lived across the street on Barry Ct.  Jan spent many days with her brother Jerry and cousins Sandy & Steve who became more like sister and brother.  Her family moved to Columbus Ohio for a year and then to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where she graduated from Washington high school in 1960. She attended and graduated from Iowa State Teachers College with a teaching degree.  She taught 4th grade in Florissant, Missouri and later 6th grade in St. James, Missouri.

Jan was involved with Girl Scouts most of her life, first as a Girl Scout and then as a troop leader in St James and Creve Coeur with her daughter, Sarah. Jan continued to volunteer with Girl Scouts even after Sarah had graduated high school. She was honored by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, in 1982 with a Volunteer Appreciation Award and in 1990 with the Gold Laurel Award.

In 1968, Jan and Thomas were married in Hawaii while he was on leave from the war in Vietnam.  After Thomas returned home, they moved to St James, Missouri where Sarah was born in 1970, then Bloomington, IL where Tom was born in 1972.  She made many lifelong friends in St James and Bloomington, the Marcees, Gigers, Gradys, Liddles, Holtmans. They moved again to Chillicothe, Missouri and finally to the house on Saucier in Creve Coeur, Missouri in 1977 where they spent the next 32 years.  In St. Louis they spent many holidays, canoe trips, camp outs with the Manning families Leslie & John Manning, Marilyn & John Kornberger, and Carolyn & Gayle Boyde.  After raising her children, Jan went to work for Falcon Hodges Furniture in St. Louis, Missouri where she worked in customer service until she retired in 2005.

Her family spent many summers when she was a child and later with her own children at the family cabin on Squirrel Island in Minocqua, Wisconsin.  It was a very special place for her with many memories of swimming, boating, fishing, card games, boggle, and just having a cup of coffee on the porch listening to the loons call. In 2002 the family purchased hunting land near Brashear Missouri and built the cabin where they spent a lot of weekends and holidays with the Bleything families.  In 2009, they build their retirement home in Brashear, Missouri where she resided till her death.

Jan enjoyed reading, crocheting, watching Cardinal Baseball, water color painting and playing cards.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, November 20, 2023 at the Davis-Playle-Hudson-Rimer Funeral Home, Kirksville, Missouri.

Memorials in memory of Janet are suggested to the American Cancer Society.

Arrangements in the care of Davis-Playle-Hudson-Rimer Funeral Home; www.davisplaylehudsonrimer.com.