March 28, 2024

Janice Kay DePenning

Feb. 17, 2015

Janice “Jan” Kay DePenning, 68, of Newton, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, at her home. A celebration of Jan’s life will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory. Following the celebration, the family will greet friends at the Elks Lodge in Newton. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation or to Alzheimer’s Research may be left at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory.

Jan was born April 19, 1946, in What Cheer, to Max and Suzanne (Urfer) Phipps. They moved to Newton when Jan was only three months old. Janice graduated from Newton Senior High School and shortly after graduation married Bob Herduin and had their two children. In 1993, she married Michael DePenning.

Jan was involved with tap, ballet, tumbling and toe from the age of five until she graduated from high school. She loved rock & roll and dancing of any kind. She also loved music. Jan loved to spend time with her kids and grandchildren, and attending their activities. She loved having long lunches with her very close friends (many of which have been friends since grade school).

Jan was a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority in which she belonged to several different chapters in different cities and states. Jan was secretary and treasurer several times throughout her memberships in Newton, Pella, Davenport and Aurora, Colo. She also was in Jaycee Ettes for several years in which she filled the offices of president, secretary and treasurer of the Newton Chapter. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Jan retired from the Principal Financial Group in 2008, after 29 years of employment.

Those left to honor Jan’s memory are her husband, Michael of Newton; son, Travis Dean (Jenny) Herduin of Newton; step-daughter, Melissa Brown of Newton; her three grandchildren, Joshuwa Kruse of Colorado and Jacob and Hanna Herduin of Newton; two step-granddaughters, Madelyn and Grace Brown of Newton; her sister, Beverly Owens of Colorado; and nephew, Michael Owens of Colorado. She was preceded in death by her parents, Max Phipps and Suzanne Urfer Phipps Johnson; step-father, Forrest “Johnny,” Johnson; daughter, Tamara Herduin; and a brother, Denny Phipps.