Jan Henningsen

Janice Fay Henningsen was born on November 23, 1944, the daughter of Emil Claus and Vernette Emily (Clausen) Bielfeldt in Ute, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John Lutheran Church in Charter Oak. Jan received her education from Charter Oak Ute School and graduated with the Class of 1963.

On January 19, 1963, Janice was united in marriage to Robert “Bob” Milroy Henningsen at Zion Lutheran Chapel in Denison. The couple spent their early years in Denison and Charter Oak. In 1969, they moved to a farm east of Deloit, a place Jan was fortunate to call home for more than 50 years.

In 1976, Jan and Bob purchased a feed store and named it Henningsen Farm Supply, which they operated until 1992. The store quickly became more than just a place to buy feed. Many good times were shared there, with plenty of coffee and donuts consumed before heading to the sale barn or home to get back to the farm work. Jan later served for many years as the 4-H Youth Program Director, a role that was especially meaningful to her and allowed her to share her love of working with young people. 4-H was a tremendous part of Jan’s life, and she cherished the many years she spent involved with the program and the people she met along the way. Her dedication to 4-H was recognized when she was inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame.

Jan was a longtime member of Zion Lutheran Church in Denison, where she was active in the church and taught Sunday School during her earlier years. She had a special place in her heart for children and especially treasured time spent with her grandchildren. No matter how old they got, her kids and grandchildren could count on a phone call from Grandma on their birthday, complete with her singing “Happy Birthday” to them. Jan had a way of finding joy in the things and people around her.

Jan was also a devoted sports fan. She enjoyed supporting her grandkids at their athletic events and cheering on the Iowa State Cyclones. She developed a new appreciation for Iowa Hawkeye women’s basketball when one of her grandsons became a manager for the team. That interest eventually turned into watching the WNBA, giving her yet another sport to follow and enjoy.

Following her retirement, Jan continued to stay busy. She joined the Crawford County Fair Board, worked part time at the gift shop at Crawford County Memorial Hospital and spent time working at an accounting firm, particularly during tax season. Jan never really believed in sitting still for long. She made every effort to attend her grandchildren’s activities and found purpose in helping others, staying involved and being part of the community she loved.

As she got older, Jan found a new way to keep up with family and friends through Facebook, where she learned to like, love and comment on their posts. She enjoyed meeting friends and former classmates for coffee at local restaurants and valued the conversations and friendships they shared. Above all, Jan treasured the people in her life and the opportunities she had to stay connected with her family, friends and community.

Jan passed away on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at Nebraska Methodist Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska at the age of 81 years, nine months and 30 days. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Bob Henningsen; parents-in-law, Milroy and Eleanor (Heide) Henningsen; siblings-in-law: Ronald Henningsen, Gary Steffens and Arlene and John Rank; and nieces: Brandi Henningsen Thompson and Kristine (Rank) Christensen.

She is survived by her four children: Jeffrey Henningsen of Greeley, Colorado, Kelly (Wally) Dyer of Higginsville, Missouri, Brent (Beth) Henningsen of Ames, and Dean (Steph) Henningsen of Westside; nine grandchildren: Emma Dyer, Evan Dyer, Eli (Sami) Dyer, Tanner Henningsen, Payton Henningsen, Ava Henningsen, Ella Henningsen, Jaxson Henningsen and Reagan Henningsen; one great-granddaughter, Scottie Rae, who will be arriving soon; two sisters, Lana Henningsen of Denison and Jeanine (Tom) Brocious of Sherwood, Arkansas; siblings-in-law: Judy Steffens and Carol (Terry) Gehring; and many other family members and friends.

Visitation with family and friends will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Huebner Funeral Home in Denison. Her funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, October 5, 2026, at Zion Lutheran Church in Denison. Interment will be held in the Crawford Heights Memory Gardens in Denison. In lieu of flowers, the family will direct memorials to many local organizations.