Obituary of Janice R. Moss

Janice R. "Jan" Moss, 91 longtime resident of the Iowa City area, died Thursday, February 19, 2015, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Funeral services will be held at 3pm Sunday, February 22, 2015, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, where there will be a time of visitation beginning at 1 pm and also following the services. Private interment services will be held at Memory Gardens Cemetery on Monday. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in her memory to the First United Methodist Church in Iowa City. Online condolences may be sent for her family through the web @ www.gayandciha.com. Janice Ruth Gilbert was born May 21, 1923, in Prairie City, Iowa the daughter of George R. and Kate (Hess) Gilbert. She attended Prairie City schools where she played and excelled in girls basketball. Following graduation from high school she attended the State University of Iowa in the Nursing Program. While here she enjoyed basketball in the Iowa City Rec. League. It was here at the University that she met, Kenneth A. Moss, who she would marry on September 4, 1943. A marriage that spanned nearly 70 years! The couple made their home in Iowa City on a dairy farm north of town. Ken took care of the farm, while Jan took care of the family and home. But she also enjoyed working outside the home, first for friends for a number of years at Varsity Cleaners, and then later for over 30 years in the OB-Gyn Clinic at the University Hospitals, taking care of "Jan's babies". Those close to Jan, and even those just acquaintances; knew a meticulous, intelligent, frugal, sincere, persistent, passionate, and compassionate woman. She was all of this when it came to her family, her jobs, her travels around the world, her card games of bridge and euchre, her gardens of flowers and vegetables and of course the Iowa Hawkeyes! Just hours before her death, she asked her family if the Iowa Women's team had won their game…. Jan has been an active part of the First United Methodist Church in Iowa City for over 70 years; a member of the West Lucas Farm Bureau Women, the President's Club at the University of Iowa, and a staunch supporter of the Iowa Athletics through the Kenneth and Janice Moss Scholarship Fund which supports a new student athlete each year. She and her husband Ken were founding Members of the Iowa City Athletics Boosters Club. Her family includes her four children; David (Janet) Moss of Lafayette, CO; Stephen (Sonya) Moss of Iowa City; Sharon (Darwin) Thirtyacre of Iowa City; and Jerry Moss (Teri Blume) of Tiffin; 10 grandchildren, Brad (Jayme) Moss, Jason (Danielle) Moss, Katie (Rich) Coffman, Stephanie Moss, Stacy (Luke) Zeller, Skyler Moss (Sarah), Patricia (Joe) Gleason, Jodi (Pat) Ford), Brenda (Chris) Langenberg, and Jeff Thirtyacre; 15 great-grandchildren, Ryan, Nia, Jared, Madison, Sydney, Mikayla, Alec, Lena, Miles, Brody, Quinn, Sloane, Addison, Stella, Gavin and one boy to soon arrive; and 1 great-great-granddaughter, Harper; 2 sisters-in-law, Donna Walkup of Coralville and Mildred Gilbert of Prairie City, IA, and brother-in-law, Harold Schenk of Hills. Jan was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Ken in 2013; and 8 brothers and sisters. Her family would like to thank those who cared for our mother and grandmother these last days at Mercy Hospital, and Lisa Connell who made it possible for Jan to stay in her home, and as independent as anyone could ask. But her family would also like to say thank you to all of her friends throughout her many years that made her life what it was; a wonderful life! Many have passed on before her, but they have not been forgotten by Jan's family. And as Jan would always say, "Until You Are Better Paid".