Ron Jans

JANS, TARPY, KAEFRING, ROHRET, LANGEL, KULHAVY, PARKINSON

Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 6/18/2021 at 14:56:55

Ron Jans, 79, died May 24, 2021 with his family at his side after a long battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 7 PM at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 AM, Thursday, May 27, 2021 at St. Peter’s Church in Cosgrove with Father Stephen Witt and Deacon Joseph Rohret officiating. Burial will be at St. Peter’s Cemetery. A luncheon will follow the committal service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (Cure PSP) Association c/o Julia Jans, PO Box 167, Iowa City, Iowa 52244

Ron was born in Carroll, Iowa on August 23, 1941, to Melvin and Marian (Tarpy) Jans. As a youth, he was active in Little League baseball. In high school he was an All- State basketball player. He also enjoyed swimming and figure skating. He graduated from Sac City High School in 1959, and completed a double major in business and economics from Simpson College in 1963.

After graduating from Simpson College, Ron joined the Kresge management training program. He was promoted to management of his first store, a Kresge variety store in Minneapolis, MN in 1968. He managed Kresge stores in Oshkosh, Wis., Des Plaines, Ill., and Wausaw, Wis. He then transferred to the K-mart division of the company in 1973 as co-manager of a store in Sioux Falls, SD. He opened and managed a new K-mart store in St. Charles, MO in 1974. He was transferred to the Iowa City K-mart in 1983 and was manager of that store until he retired in 1996.

Ron married Julia Ann Kaefring, daughter of Paul and Vera (Rohret) Kaefring of Oxford, Iowa on July 30, 1966. They had 54 happy years together and raised two daughters. Ron loved to play golf, ride his motorcycle, go to the casino, play euchre, and spend time with his family, especially his two grandsons.

Ron is survived by his wife, Julia, and their two daughters and grandsons: Carmen (Richard) Langel of North Liberty and grandsons Nathan of Mason City, Iowa and Anthony; Melissa (Jeff Kulhavy) Jans of Iowa City; and his sister Phyllis (David) Parkinson of Casa Grande, Arizona.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a newborn daughter, Carrie Lynn.

Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
 

Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen