Janis Faye Eckhoff

Janis Faye (Anderson) Eckhoff November 28, 1933 – September 12, 2020 Janis Faye (Anderson) Eckhoff, age 86, of the Park Rapids/Menahga, MN area and formerly of Ada, MN, died peacefully, with Don at her side on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at the Green Pine Acres Nursing Home. Janis Faye Anderson was born on Nov. 28, 1933 in Ada, MN to Mary and Norman Anderson. She grew up with her three brothers on a farm south and west of Ada. Janis was multi-talented and was especially good at cooking and feeding people. She also loved handbells, both playing and directing. One of the facets of her life for a time was foster care. At one time she and Don cared for an infant that we called Baby Tommy, he was placed in his forever home with the name Scott Zarn. One memorable Thanksgiving eve two little girls; sisters arrived at our door. Their names were Tammy and Terry and Janis nurtured those little girls to a healthy place. Finally, there was Darrel Hawkins who came as a sixteen-year-old and lived at the farm for about a year. Janis was always feeding people. It started with her family, then a catering business, then running a restaurant, then establishing a food shelf in Ada. It didn't stop when they moved to Park Rapids because then she managed funeral food at Riverside UMC. One early memory is of Janis playing the organ at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Later when they transferred to Grace Lutheran Church in Ada, she started a handbell choir. Her love of handbells continued in Park Rapids when she got wind of an unused set of handbells at Riverside United Methodist Church. Next thing we knew, she was directing handbells again. Janis was a woman of faith and always found a church home wherever she lived. She was a woman who demonstrated her faith through service by feeding people, by directing musical groups at her church, and by showing love for everyone she met. She leaves behind her husband of 68 years, Don; two children: Maureen (Mark) Hagen of Red Wing, Kevin (Susan) Eckhoff of Menahga; four grandchildren: Allison Dove of Vallejo CA, Andrew Hagen of Rochester, MN, Kaylin Polk of Rochester, MN, Shea Polk of Rochester, MN; and two great-grandchildren: Sylvia Dove of Vallejo, CA, and Iliyah Polk of Rochester, MN. Visitation will be held from 5-7 PM, Thursday, September 17, 2020 at the Jones-Pearson Funeral Home, Park Rapids, MN. Funeral services will be held at 11 AM Friday, September 18, 2020 at the Riverside United Methodist Church, Park Rapids, MN. There will also be a visitation/memorial service on Friday, September 18, 2020 at 3 PM on Friday, September 18, 2020 at Grace Lutheran Church, Ada, MN followed by a committal service at 4:30 PM at the Pleasant View Cemetery, Ada, MN To leave online condolences or to view the video tribute please visit www.jonespearson.com