Janet Kae Jessen was a mother, a sister, a daughter, a wife, a friend, a woman who lived with love and happiness, and left behind a legacy of cookie recipes and fishing stories.
Janet was born a twin on Jan. 29, 1947, to Ervin and Evelyn (Titus) Boone in Madison, Wis. At a young age, she moved with her family to Luverne, Minn., where she graduated from Luverne High School in 1965. She attended Luther College in Iowa, before moving to Augsburg College after marrying Delbert Jessen, her husband of 36 years. They were married in August, 1968, at Zion Lutheran Church in Hardwick, Minn. From 1969- 1973, they lived in Atlanta, Ga., before moving to Plymouth and then Minnetonka, Minn., where she and Del raised their three children, Amy, Heidi and Doug. She worked over fifty years combined at Lappin Electric and JH Larson as an office manager and credit manager until retirement in 2022. She died back in her home town at Luverne Hospice Cottage on April 15, 2026, at the age of 79 years, two months and 18 days.
Janet was born 10 minutes sooner than her twin sister, Jeanne, and she frequently reminded her that she was the oldest. They were more than just sisters; they were best friends. They grew up spending summers fishing at “Siss” Lake Sissabagama, Wis., with their grandparents, where many people didn’t know they were girls as their grandfather just called them “The Twins”. During her high school years, Jan was in marching band and choir and did very well on the debate team. A highlight was playing in pep band for the 1964 state champion Luverne basketball team. While attending Luther College, she studied education and played field hockey and basketball. During a winter break from college, Jan reconnected with Delbert. They had known each other in high school, but started dating while Del was playing football for the Minnesota Gophers. And while he was known to be the athlete, in reality she was better at golf, tennis and bowling and played softball for years as her kids grew up. One of their first dates was to see “The Turtles” which made the song “Happy Together” important to them.
Janet always enjoyed puzzles, cribbage, casino games, card games, Scrabble and Kismet, especially in her later years while living with her son Doug. She was an amazing cook, having learned from her mother and her grandmother. She fed everyone her family brought home through an always open door, which made anyone who came to the house feel welcomed and important.
Janet always had a to-do list, and wisely taught her kids that if you do something that is not on your list, you add it to the bottom so you can cross it off. She loved music from the 60’s, specifically The Beatles, Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley, who she saw in concert three times. She also loved Neil Diamond who she saw four times with Heidi, passing down her love for music to her kids.
For many years, she traveled to Ohio and then to Virginia to visit her daughter, Amy and family, where she would try and teach Amy to make her flaky pie crusts, Amy still doesn’t have it quite right. “Baking Day” before Christmas, she would make 10-12 different cookies and candies. Jan passed down a love of fishing to her grandson, Jacob. While she was always the one to clean and filet the fish she recently taught her two sons-in-law so they can continue the family fish fries in her honor. Jan valued and found purpose in work, where she met her dear friend Jane Moelter, they remained best friends for over 20 years. In her later years, she was an avid TV watcher with her son Doug; watching everything from dramas/sitcoms/reality shows, movies and perhaps not surprisingly cooking shows.
Finally, she is known for her laugh inducing “Janisms” – kids coming to the door at Halloween “look at the little Wewoks” (instead of Ewoks from Star Wars), confusing Freddy Krueger with Freddie Mercury the lead singer of Queen and how much she loved Hugh Jackson (Jackman) and all his movies. Her family would laugh, and she would roll her eyes and say “you won’t forget that one.” And she was right, we won’t. We will miss her dearly.
She is lovingly remembered by her three children, Amy (Chris) Jessen-Marshall of Madison Heights, Va., Heidi (Grant) Wilhelm of Maple Grove, Minn., and Doug Jessen of Crystal, Minn.; three grandchildren, Bailey and Barrett Marshall and Jacob Wilhelm; and three sisters, Jeanne (John) Bowron of Luverne, Minn., Jane (Jim) Golla of Tulsa, Okla., and Jodie Boone of Rochester, Minn. She was preceded in death by her husband, Delbert “Del” Jessen and her parents, Ervin and Evelyn (Titus) Boone.
A memorial gathering of family and friends will be held at a later date in Maple Grove.
To sign an online registry, please visit www.hartquistfuneral.com.
