Janet Jean Thomsen

Janet Jean Thomsen, aged 93, of Everly, IA, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family members, on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at Community Memorial Health Center in Hartley, IA. Janet was born on September 25, 1932, in Sutherland, IA. She was one of six children of Ernest and Lucy Bobolz, and she was raised in the Calumet area until 8th grade. The Bobolz family eventually moved to the Hartley area, and she went to the Hartley School for one year. She then attended Moneta High School, where she met her future husband, Stanley (Rod) Thomsen, and graduated in 1950.

After graduation, she attended the Lutheran School of Nursing in Sioux City, IA, where she graduated as an RN in 1953. Janet married Rod Thomsen at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hartley on October 24, 1954. Rod and Janet were blessed with four children and made their life on their farm south of Moneta until 1981. That year, they built a lovely house in Everly, where they resided until their move to the Community Memorial Health Center in 2022.

Janet worked as an RN for one year while she lived in Sioux City, and after marrying Rodney, she worked for a few years at the Hartley Hospital. She left the profession to raise her family, but she took great pride in her nursing work, and if you were to ask some of her friends and neighbors, they would say she continued her nursing career for many years, as she was always tending to the ailments of her kids, friends, and neighbors. This love for nursing was rooted in Janet’s love for other human beings. She would be the first to want to help those less fortunate, and this was exemplified through much of her time spent at Hope Lutheran Church in Everly. She held various positions in Women of Hope, and she was truly a woman of God, which she exemplified in her everyday life.

Throughout her life, Janet spent a lot of time in the fishing boat with Rodney and the kids, or in her amazing flower and vegetable gardens. Her family also relished her wonderful cooking, and they always looked forward to her home-cooked meals. She loved watching sports as both a Cyclone fan and a Hawkeye fan. Christmas time with Janet was extra special because she was all about making it the best holiday ever for the kids, year after year. And she really did accomplish just that. Those memories will be cherished forever.

Janet lived a life defined by wholehearted love, quiet service, and a steadfast devotion to family and faith. Her children and grandchildren were so fortunate to never have to wonder if mom or grandma loved them. She provided love to them perfectly and abundantly, whether it was through sprinkles on your ice cream, coming to the thousands of athletic events she attended over the years, or the small moments that made every day special with her. To say she will be missed is an understatement. But after suffering through Alzheimer’s for the last few years, she knew it was time to be called home. They say that disease includes the “long goodbye,” and her family felt that. But her true self never left their hearts, and she will be loved always.

Left to cherish her memory are her son Terry (Pat) Thomsen of Hartley, IA; daughter Pat Thomsen of Milford, IA; son Dan (Paula) Thomsen of Ankeny, IA; and daughter Lori (Neill) Johnson of Plymouth, MN. Grandchildren: Leah Malmstrom (Lee), Ben Thomsen (Katy), Jake Thomsen (Mollie), Kyle Thomsen (Rachel), Emily Chisholm (Brian), Erin Thomsen, and Charlie Johnson. Great-grandchildren: Tyler, Jenna, Beau, Jace, Reece, Julia, Grant, Kaycie, Desiree, Teagan, Zachary, Alex, and Evelyn. Brother Gale Bobolz and wife Carol, and sister Linda Tewes and husband Larry. Many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Stanley (Rod) Thomsen; parents, Ernest and Lucy Bobolz; father- and mother-in-law, Fred and Jennie Thomsen; granddaughter, Hope Johnson; brother, Leon Bobolz and wife Lois; brother, Curt Bobolz and wife Mary Ann; and sister, Darlene Lux and husband Dale.