Janice Leah Konrade was born December 9, 1945, to Emery and Marian (Hoesing) Heine in Yankton, South Dakota. She attended grade school in St. Helena, Nebraska, and graduated from Mount Marty Catholic High School in Yankton. Jan went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Creighton University and her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Nebraska in 1968.
She began her career at Methodist Youthville in Newton, Kansas, and from 1970 to 1975 worked for the Dodge City Diocese Migrant program. On August 1, 1970, Jan married the love of her life, Reginald Konrade, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Helena, Nebraska.
Jan and Reg made their first home in Ulysses, Kansas, before moving to Abilene in 1976. There, Jan dedicated her life to raising six children—five sons and one daughter—while also serving her community. She worked for more than 30 years as a licensed social worker, both at Abilene Memorial Hospital and through the Central Kansas Cooperative in Education, supporting countless families and students.
A faithful member of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Abilene, Jan was an RCIA leader and active in choir, a lector, and Ladies of St. Andrew’s.
Jan had a deep passion for marriage and family, a mission she and Reg shared throughout their lives. They first served as facilitators for Marriage Encounter weekends and later became Family Life Directors at St. Andrew’s and for the Diocese of Salina. Together, they hosted weekly family nights in their home, led marriage seminars, orchestrated a diocesan bus pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life, and started the Salina Diocese Men’s Conference to strengthen faith, marriage, and family life.
Jan faced her health challenges with courage and grace, having been diagnosed with leukemia in 2016 and Parkinson’s disease in 2019. She passed away on September 15, 2025, at Village Manor in Abilene with her husband by her side.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Reg; her children Jason (Monica) of Lebo, KS; Jenell (Brad) Hartman of Abilene, KS; Fr. Jarett of Beloit, KS; Jon (Laura) of Beloit, KS; and Jamie (Amy) of Gardner, KS, and daughter-in-Law Tamara Lindholm of McPherson, KS. Jan is also survived by four sisters and four brothers. She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved son Jory of Inman, KS, and her sisters Loretta and Debbie of Nebraska.
Jan was the proud grandmother of 23 grandchildren—17 boys and 6 girls—and leaves behind a legacy of love, faith, and service.