Janet Downing

1934 - 2010

Janet Helen (Wood) Downing, of rural Greene, was born Oct. 29, 1934, in Williams, at the home of her parents Lyle Edward and Leona Wilma (Jaynes) Wood and died Thursday, May 13, in Mason City.
Janet graduated from Mason City High School in 1951. She spent her early adult years working in Mason City, Chicago, Ill., and St. Ansgar.
She was united in marriage to Daniel Joseph Downing on Sept. 9, 1967, at the St. Ansgar Catholic Church. To this union was born three children. Daniel died in July 2002.
Although Janet had many interests and talents, nothing was more important to her than family and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Through the years, many Saturdays were spent shopping with her mother and her children and Sunday afternoons were spent with her family in Williams or at her parents in St. Ansgar or just simply visiting and enjoying each other's company.
Janet will be remembered as a wonderful cook who tried to make every Sunday and holiday special. Her family would look forward to her big mid-morning homestyle breakfasts, her many-course dinners and her wonderful deserts. She became popular at reunions and holidays for her "24-hour" salad. Her grandchildren requested her fudge every Christmas.
As her children were growing up, it was important to Janet that she expose them to many cultural activities, often taking them to various art fairs, music performances, theatre productions, and piano lessons. One of her lifelong wishes was to see a performance of the Radio City Rockettes, which she did, with her family, in December 2007.
Janet's greatest joy was watching her grandchildren grow; she appreciated each and every one of them and enjoyed simply talking to them, as well as doing activities with them. Some of her favorite activities with them were working on jigsaw puzzles, playing board games, picking apples, making currant or grape jelly, and coloring Easter eggs. She also enjoyed sitting back and just watching them be kids and have fun with each other.
Janet always wanted birthdays and Christmas to be special and would spend a lot of time searching relentlessly for the perfect gift. She was never one to get caught up in having material things or spending a lot of money on herself, but if there was something that she thought would make a difference to someone, she was very generous.
Janet is survived by her children, Christy (Tim) Laube of Charles City, Tom (Amber) Downing of Shell Rock and Ross Downing of Hopkins, Minn.; grandchildren, Trenton Laube, Caitlyn Laube, Daniel Laube, Jordan Downing, and Jared Downing; one sister, Joan Fielding Wood of Williamsburg; one aunt, Velma Pelz of Blairsburg; and three sisters-in-law, Evelyn Downing of Clear Lake, Mildred Goodenberger of Coralville, and Margaret Downing of Waverly, along with several cousins, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband and her parents.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 22, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greene. Visitation will be at the church from 9 a.m. until time of services.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Reid's Funeral Chapel in Greene.