Janet M. "Jan" Connell

1935 - 2025

Janet "Jan" M. Connell

October 3, 1935 - July 21, 2025

Janet "Jan" M. Connell, 89, passed away peacefully on July 21, 2025, with her family at her side. Janet M. Swingle was born in 1935, in Dubuque, Iowa. Since Jan's father worked for the Milwaukee Railroad, her family relocated often but the saving grace was a robust sibling bond. Jan also reminisced that there were many special memories shared in Sparta, Wisc. and Terre Haute, Ind., where she graduated from Riley High School in 1953.

On September 1, 1956, she was united in marriage to Tom Connell in Carmel, Calif. They made their home in Menomonie, Wisc., owning and operating Connell Sunridge Orchards for 50 years and raising their four children, Mark, Dianne, Steven, and Janie.

Jan's talents were many: a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, church treasurer for decades and many other volunteer positions. Always learning, Jan was a master of DOS and Microsoft Office and was an extremely accomplished businesswoman using her keen skills to improve the business office operations at the orchard and help support the storage business management in later years. A natural-born leader!

In 2001, Tom and Jan sold the orchard and retired to Naples, Fla. They spent a busy and wonderful retirement enjoying part-time work supporting the family-owned storage businesses in Florida, managed by their son Mark. Tom and Jan continued to lead an 'intentional life,' allocating ample time to their many joys: enjoying family, great friends, bridge tournaments, traveling to their Puerto Rican paradise that they enjoyed for decades, and ocean cruises. They were also faithful Minnesota Twins fans, watching every game and enthusiastically waving their Homer Hankies when needed.

In later years, Jan became a diehard football enthusiast, predicting all games, tracking their stats and glued to the NFL Red Zone! Brady, Rodgers, and Mahomes were her all-time favorites. Occasionally betting here and there was always denied, but us kids knew better. :)

Her other loves: getting dressed to the nines to dine out, computer games, and anything on TV with a (dead body) and a good murder storyline. Angela Lansbury's character in Murder She Wrote, with her elegant clothes and clever involvement in murders, was one of Jan's favorite things to watch.

Jan was preceded in death by her husband, Tom; daughter, Dianne; sister, Joyce; and her three brothers, Bill, Bob and Don. She is survived by her children, Mark Connell, Ft. Myers, Fla., Steve (Char), Menomonie Wisc., Janie Korin, Excelsior, Minn.; and son-in-law, Mike Upham, Apple Valley, Minn. In addition, she is survived by six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held in Naples at a future date this fall. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, https://bgcagifts.donorsupport.co/-/NMAQHKMT, as a tribute to Jan Connell. Her unwavering belief in empowering the underprivileged to overcome obstacles, building resilience, and realizing their potential was of utmost importance! To Jan, a healthy mindset is crucial to success!