Janet Stade

Janet Stade, age 85, of Jackson, Minnesota, passed away on Saturday, August 19, 2023, at the Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Monday, August 21, 2023, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Jackson, and will continue one hour prior to service on Tuesday. Celebration of Life Service will begin at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Ted Carnahan officiating. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Jackson.

     Janet Mae Stade was born in Jackson County, Minnesota on June 21, 1938, the daughter of Albin and Mildred (Hansen) Schlager.  Janet attended rural country school north of town as a youth and then attended Jackson Senior High school where she graduated in 1956.  On March 5, 1957, in Canton, South Dakota she married her high school sweetheart Calvin Stade.  Together they farmed the family farm where Cal was born and raised.  This farm helped Janet and Cal raise their family and give to their children the framework for knowing, appreciating, and carrying forward the values and morals of their parents.  Janet passed away on August 19, 2023, at the Sanford Medical Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the age of 85 years of age.    

  Janet was a member of Union State Line Church in Petersburg for many years and later became a member of our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Jackson.  Through the years she gave of her time so generously serving as a Sunday school teacher, bible school teacher, church council and so many important roles where she simply loved on people in a way that shined with goodness from God.  One of the projects she was so proud of was initiating Our Saviors Church to serve at “The Banquet” in Sioux Falls.  That project combined her gifts of ministry using food and compassion to serve others. 

     Cal’s love of the farm led their family to develop a passion for showing livestock.  Janet played such a supportive role which allowed their family to grow and experience all the blessings this passion had to offer. On more than one occasion she would ask “Can’t you guys talk about anything but cattle at the supper table.”  From packing lunch to take to the county fair on show day to packing suitcases to go to the state fair, she always took care of her family. Janet was a wonderful 4-H Mom who was a club leader, manager of the softball concession stands and stood proud watching her family grow through their 4-H experiences. Janet took very little time for herself but her huge garden at the farm was her sanctuary. Her garden, flowers and her lawnmower were her contributions to making the farm a beautiful place for her family to grow up at.

     God blessed Janet with the ability to make anyone feel loved and special.   Her family was the direct beneficiary of this gift, but it was available to everyone.  The grocery store, the bank, the doctor’s office or just sitting on her porch and visiting with the neighbors were all opportunities for her to let her light shine with her quick humor and non-filtered personality. She loved her neighborhood and considered them all family.

     Janet’s family was her life and for that they are all so grateful.  She loved each one of her 4 children, 10 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren beyond measure.  She created a unique love and individual relationship with each one independent from the other.  She worked so hard to share in every moment of their life whether it was a wedding, a baptism, cattle show, dance recital, livestock sale, or maybe the most important, the one-on-one quiet conversations that she had with each one of them.  No greater gift she gave than for them to know she didn’t expect them to be perfect she loved them anyway. 

Janet is survived by her children Mike (Deb) Stade of Jackson Minnesota, Dawn (Mike) Eddy of Jackson, Chris (Randy) Wirt of Parker South Dakota and Deb (Mark) Core of Pleasantville, Iowa: 10 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. 

     Janet was preceded in death by her parents, brother Richard Schlager and numerous aunts and uncles. 

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