Janet Kloos, age 87, of St. Leo, MN passed away on Friday, May 23, 2025 at the Brookings Health Care System in Brookings, SD. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30am on Friday, May 30th at the St. Leo Catholic Church in St. Leo, MN. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7pm on Thursday, May 29th at the Houseman Funeral Home, Birk Chapel in Canby, MN with a Rosary at 5pm. Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at the St. Leo Catholic Cemetery in St. Leo, MN. Houseman Funeral Home, Birk Chapel in Canby, MN has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Janet Anna Kockelman, born September 20, 1937, on a farm in Omro Township near St. Leo, MN, to Arthur and Susan (Weber) Kockelman, died on Friday, May 23, 2025, at Brookings Hospital, surrounded by family. She was 87 years old. Janet was the oldest in her family. She has one sister, Evelyn, and two brothers, Jimmy and Ron. When Janet was five years old, her mother died of cancer. Janet went to live with an aunt and uncle so she could go to school. Janet spent two years at the Order of Saint Benedict, where she acquired her childhood nickname: Kocky. Janet lived with her aunt and uncle until her sophomore year of high school. At that time, her dad needed help on the farm and asked Janet to live with him, her brother Jim and Grandma Kockelman. This living arrangement allowed her to go to parties and spend time with friends. Janet met Robert Kloos at the St. Leo Tavern on a Sunday afternoon, during her sophomore year of high school. They were married on August 20, 1957, in St. Leo. Robert (Bob/Bobby/Hoss) was a paver operator doing road construction. After living with her father on his farm for several years, they moved to Taunton, and then to the farm of her aunt and uncle, which happily soon became a gathering place for fun and friends. Janet was a homemaker until her kids were older. She worked for her dad for several years, selling federal crop insurance. She worked several places as a psychiatrist and counselor while serving alcoholic beverages and morning coffee. As a child, Janet loved to climb. Her parents removed the bottom steps of the wind mill so she wasn’t tempted to climb it. Janet enjoyed reading the daily newspapers, doing crosswords and Sudoku challenges, Bingo, card games and board games with family and friends, and everything Elvis.
Janet is survived by her children: Michael (Linda), Stacy, MN; Gregory, Porter, MN; David (Yvette), Minneota, MN; Daniel (Alison), Minneota, MN, and Suzanne (Rodger) Bjordal, Brookings, SD. Janet also had one “Angel Child”, Jerry, who died of SIDS. Janet bought Christmas gifts for thirteen grandchildren: Benjamin (Samantha) Kloos, Katherine (Nick) Lutfi, Thomas (Megan) Kloos, Abigail (Patrick) Blatz, Jonathan Kloos, Paul (JingJing) Kloos, Tonya (Jon) Hammitt, Kalley (Chris) Berg, Austin Kloos, Amber (Sam) Froehlich, Miranda (Mike) Smidt, Aaron (Megan) Smidt, and Gretchen Smidt. Nine great grandchildren: Jonah Kloos, Logan Kloos, Cameron Lutfi, Grace Lutfi, Gabryelle Kloos, Emily Kloos, Nicholas Kloos, Michael Hammitt, and Baby Hammitt (Sep 2025). She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Susan Kockelman, brothers James and Ronald, Husband Robert, and Son Gerald Arthur.
