Janice "Jan" Grannes

Applonie Janice Grannes (née Reber) was born April 27, 1937 in Montevideo, Minnesota. 

She attended Wilkins County District 40, and graduated from Breckenridge High School in 1955. She worked

in a bank while she attended and then graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN with a degree

in Elementary Education. She taught in Canby, MN where she met her husband, Doug, who was also a

teacher. They moved to the Minneapolis area where she taught at St. Louis Park, Circle Pines, and

Spring Lake Park elementary schools.

In 1975, they purchased a Hardware Hank store in Carlton, MN. Their sons Dean and Dana graduated

from Carlton High School. Doug and Jan sold the hardware store and both taught on the White Earth

Reservation in northwestern Minnesota. They moved back to Carlton. Doug taught at Willow River,

MN. Jan was very active in Carlton – Mayor for 12 years, Councilman for two years and active in PTA,

AFS Intercultural Programs, Chair of Carlton Nursing Home board, oversaw the building of Carlton Water

Treatment Plant, Carlton Fire Hall, and Carlton Park, and was on the Western Lake Superior Sanitary

District.

Doug and Jan moved to Des Moines in 2000 to be near their son Dana and granddaughter Macy. Dean

and family moved to Des Moines in 2007. Since moving to Des Moines, Jan was active at Windsor

Heights Lutheran Church in Vacation Bible School, Women of the ELCA, the Care and Nurture

Committee, Quilters, and as coordinator of the ingathering of quilts and kits for Lutheran World Relief.

She also substitute taught at Windsor Elementary and was an election judge.

Doug passed away 2011. Preceding her in death were her parents Fred and Applonie Reber, three

brothers: John, Jerry, and Dan, nephew Jay, and niece Marlene. Surviving are sons Dean (Stephanie)

and Dana (Debera), sisters DiAnn and Karen, and many grandkids and great grandkids, all of whom loved

spending time with her.

Services will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Windsor Heights Lutheran Church, 1240

66th St., Des Moines, IA, 50324. Cremains will be interred at Glenwood Cemetery.