Janice Marie Rabbitt 1937 - 2019

RABBITT, LUND, RYSTA

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/25/2019 at 20:19:42

Sioux City Journal
30 May 2019

Janice Marie Rabbitt, 81, of Jefferson, passed away Monday, May 27, 2019, at a Sioux City hospital.

Services will be 11:30 a.m. Friday at Morningside Lutheran Church. Visitation with the family will be 6 to 8 p.m. today, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel in Sioux City. Online condolences may be sent to www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Janice was born on Aug. 2, 1937, in Sioux City, to Arthur and Violet (Lund) Rysta. Janice grew up in Sioux City, where she graduated from East High School. She then moved to Sioux Falls, S.D., where she attended and graduated from Augustana College with her teaching degree.

On June 6, 1959, Janice married Michael "Dale" Rabbitt in Sioux City. They raised two boys, Dan and Jeff, together. Janice taught elementary school in the Sioux City Community School District for 10 years. She then transitioned over to Interbake Foods, where she was a line lead for 20 years before retiring to join the family business Outpost Optical (now known as Rabbitt Family Vision Center). While Janice's father was ill she took care of him making sure that he never ate dinner alone. Dale and Janice spent 56 years together before Dale passed away on June 10, 2015.

They spent many hours at horse shows and the race track with their boys (both horse and car tracks).

Janice had a very green thumb and was able to make any plant or flower flourish. She was very proud of her flower beds and vegetable garden. She hardly ever missed an event that her grandchildren were participating in as well. Dale and Janice enjoyed many activities together but their favorite dates were held on the dance floor square dancing. Janice then spent the next four years living with her sister, Ruth. Family was always Janice's number one priority and she made sure everyone knew how proud she was of each and every one of her kiddos.

She was also a longtime member of Morningside Lutheran Church and involved in many of the activities.

Survivors include her two sons, Dr. Dan Rabbitt (Angie) of Jefferson, and Jeff Rabbitt (Lori) of North Sioux City; her sister, Ruth Rysta of Sioux City; her brother-in-law, Don Rabbitt (Janet) of Fond du Lac, Wis.; her four grandchildren, Brittney, Brandon, Rystan and Kayah; and her great-grandson, Makai.

Janice was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dale; her brothers, Orville and Richard; and one sister, Carolyn.