Janice Moss

JANICE MOSS

Iowa City

Janice R. "Jan" Moss, 91, a longtime resident of the Iowa City area, died Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015, at Mercy Iowa City. Funeral services will be 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, Iowa

City, where there will be a time of visitation beginning at 1 p.m. and also following the services. Private interment services will be at Memory Gardens Cemetery on Monday.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in her memory to First United Methodist Church in Iowa City.

Online condolences may be sent for her family through the Web at 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 University of Iowa in the nursing program. While here, she enjoyed basketball in the Iowa City Recreation League. It was here at the university that she met Kenneth A. Moss, who she would marry on Sept. 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. Jan 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 University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 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 First United Methodist Church in Iowa City for over 70 years. She was a member of the West Lucas Farm Bureau Women, President's Club at the University of Iowa and a staunch supporter of 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, Colo., 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; a great-great-granddaughter, Harper; two sisters-in-law, Donna Walkup of Coralville and Mildred Gilbert of Prairie City; and brother-in-law, Harold Schenk of Hills.

Jan was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ken, in 2013; and eight brothers and sisters.

Her family would like to thank those who cared for our mother and grandmother these last days at Mercy Iowa City, 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."