Janet Kiehm

Janet C. Kiehm, 94, of Mankato, MN passed into the arms of her loving Lord on January 24, 2026, surrounded by her family. Memorial Services will be held at 2:30 PM on Monday, February 2, at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Winnebago, MN. Visitation will be 5-7 PM Sunday, February 1, at Spencer-Owen Funeral Home in Winnebago and at the church one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow at a later date in Rice Lake Cemetery.

Janet Carolyn Jensen was born on May 9, 1931, in rural Aroma Park, IL to Herman and Pearl (Jensen) Jensen. She spent her early years helping her family with farming, livestock and truck gardening, and attended country school. In 1945, the family moved to a farm near Winnebago, MN where Janet graduated from high school in 1948. She attended Fairview Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis graduating in 1952. She married Ronald (Shorty) Kiehm on March 16, 1953 in Winnebago. They spent their first year of marriage in Kentucky, where Shorty completed his last year of military service at Fort Campbell while Janet was employed as a nurse at the local hospital. They returned to Minnesota in 1954 and made their lifetime home in rural Delavan where they farmed and raised their four children. Janet continued her nursing career working in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care. She and Shorty earned their private pilot licenses in 1979 and shared the joys of piloting their Cessna 150. Janet was a member of the Lutheran Church of Our Savior. With a helping heart, she served through teaching Sunday School, participation in the American Legion Auxiliary, and coordinating the local Meals on Wheels program. Upon retirement, the couple purchased their first motorhome and put on many miles exploring, visiting family and friends, and escaping the Minnesota winters. Their favorite wintering spot was Lake Havasu City, AZ, where, in the company of their ‘snowbird family’, they eagerly pursued their enjoyment of ‘pools’. While Janet swam every day, Shorty perfected his skills at the pool table. Widowed in 2013, Janet left their farm home of almost 60 years and moved to Mankato. Never idle, she used her skills to make clothing and quilts for donation. She organized other seniors, forming the ‘Twisted Stitchers’ group, to collaborate on charitable sewing and knitting projects. She enjoyed her needlecrafts, swimming, square-dancing, bowling, flying, and fishing. Her greatest joys were her faith, family, and friends.

She will be deeply missed by her four children: Carol (Dan) Humburg of Brookings, SD; Sharon (John) Leiferman of White, SD; Pat Murry of Madison Lake, MN; and Ken Kiehm of Minneapolis; grandsons, Jared and Jens (Michelle) Murry, Jacob (Alyssa) and Joshua (Allison) Humburg, and Matthew Leiferman; as well as great grandchildren; Gabriel and Samuel Humburg and Emery, Maverick, and Raelyn Humburg. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Shorty, and her sisters and brothers-in-law June (Francis) Beaupre, Ardis (Robert) Boone and Patti (Cleo) McCreary.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Rice Lake Cemetery or the Easton American Legion Auxiliary are welcomed.