Funeral services for Janet Backhaus, 68, of Aurelia, will be 1:00 P.M. Saturday, July 6, 2013 at the First United Methodist Church in Aurelia, with Pastor Tom Petersen officiating. Visitation will be Friday from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., with the family present, at the First United Methodist Church in Aurelia. The Redig Funeral Home of Aurelia is in charge of arrangements.
Janet Lou Mildenstein was born October 28, 1944 at Ida Grove, Iowa, the daughter of Walter and Lydia (Zobel) Mildenstein. She attended school in Ida Grove. Janet married Larry Anderson. In 1967 Janet married Robert Hoops. In 1982 Janet married Carl A. Backhaus, Jr. Janet worked as a waitress, nurses aid and later at K-Products until she had a stroke. She taught Sunday school in Galva at St. John Lutheran Church. She and her students enjoyed the pictures that Janet drew to depict the lessons and she loved teaching the children. Janet was known for her talent of writing poems and poetic tributes to different friends. During her marriage to Carl, they enjoyed fishing, camping trips, and huge vegetable gardens. She enjoyed canning and freezing the bountiful vegetables and you never left their house empty handed. As Janet’s health declined she was in the nursing home for four weeks, she enjoyed the people she met and said the staff was great.
Janet died at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City on Friday, June 28, 2013.
Preceding Janet in death were parents, her husband Carl on April 13, 2002, two sons; Jim and Bob Hoops, and one brother, James Mildenstein.
Survivors include her daughter, Linda and her husband Marc Schwanz of Holstein, son, William and his wife Debra Hoops of Overland Park, Kansas, six grandchildren; Amber and her husband Jerry Keithley and her children AJ, Jada , Madison and Grace, Megan, Joshua, and Bethany Schwanz, and Jessica and Samantha Hoops. Also surviving are four step-children; Sheree and her husband Brad Booth of Aurelia, Janene and her husband Mark Braunschweig of Cherokee, Carla and her husband Bruce Peterson of Alta, and Bruce and his wife Kathy Backhaus of Newman Grove, NE, 16 step-grandchildren, and 14 step-great-grandchildren, two brothers; Dennis and his wife Anna Mildenstein of Medford, MA, and Donald and his wife Sharyl Mildenstein of Lake View, IA, one sister, Connie and her husband Lowell Stammer of Carroll, IA, nieces and nephews, and other relatives and friends.