Janice Johnson

Hastings resident Janet Kay Johnson, 84, passed away Monday, July 13, 2026, at her home.

Memorial services for Janet Kay Johnson will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at First United Methodist Church in Hastings, Nebraska, with Pastor Nancy Lambert officiating. Janet generously bequeathed her body to the Nebraska Anatomical Board. Burial will take place at a later date at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Hastings. DeWitt Funeral Home and Cremation Service is assisting the family with arrangements. Memorials may be directed to Janet's family for a later designation.

Janet was born on July 28, 1941, in Scotia, Nebraska, to Roy and Evelyn (Stowell) Porter. After graduating from Loup City High School, she attended Kearney State College, where she earned her teaching degree. Teaching young children wasn't just her profession—it was her happy place. While teaching in Minden Public Schools, she met the love of her life, Eugene "Gene" Johnson. They were married on June 6, 1964, in Loup City. Gene's career with the Nebraska Department of Roads took them to Kimball, Scottsbluff, Lincoln, Gering, Kearney, and eventually Hastings, where they happily put down roots. She relished becoming an instant mother to Terry and Linda Johnson and later welcomed the birth of Peggy, completing their family.

A devoted member of First United Methodist Church in Hastings, Janet served as the church's Director of Education for 30 years. She shared her faith with the same enthusiasm she brought to everything else in life. Advent Workshops, Vacation Bible School, Sunday school—if children were involved, chances are Jan was organizing, creating, encouraging, or making sure everyone had something fun to do. Her beloved craft and sewing room still holds unfinished projects, complete with neatly written notes and instructions, as if she simply stepped away for a moment.

Jan was also a proud member of Beta Sigma Phi, an international women's sorority, where she formed lifelong friendships in every community she called home. She firmly believed no gathering was complete without good conversation, plenty of food, and enough serving dishes to feed an army. Her carefully collected punch bowls, platters, and holiday decorations stand ready for one more beautifully hosted gathering.

If you knew Jan, you probably remember something wonderful coming out of her kitchen. She loved trying recipes from cooking magazines and had an uncanny ability to substitute ingredients without ever glancing at a recipe twice. Holidays, birthdays, or ordinary Tuesdays—it didn't really matter. If you stopped by, there was a good chance something delicious was cooling on the counter, and you weren't leaving hungry. She also found great joy in gardening, sewing, and crafting, leaving behind handmade treasures that reflected both her creativity and the love she poured into others. She also leaves behind treasured heritage plants that will continue to bloom under the care of those who loved her. Jan meticulously planned her gardens so color filled the landscape all season long. She intentionally planted flowers for butterflies and bees and happily welcomed robins and doves that nested on the drainpipes—much to Gene's chagrin. Every creature was welcome at Jan's house, especially her grand-dogs, and even the cats if they happened to stop by.

When they were able, Jan and Gene loved traveling to visit family across the country. They chose time with the people they loved over fancy vacations, believing the best destinations were wherever family happened to be.

Janet is survived by her children, Peggy Johnson and Linda Einspahr, both of Hastings, Nebraska, and Terry Johnson (Linda Fasse) of Omaha, Nebraska; grandchildren Drew Dahlheim (Amber Krueger), Shannon Marshall of Hastings, and Brandon Marshall of Grand Island; sister Dee Alexander of Santa Clara, California; and brother Dick (Judy) Porter of Brentwood, California.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband, Gene; sisters Jean Macke and Donita Kendig; sisters-in-law Lorraine Allard, Evelyn Knudson, and Milrae Bayer; and brother-in-law Cecil Johnson.

Janet's greatest gifts were never things—they were the people she loved, the faith she lived, the meals she shared, the children she encouraged, and the countless small acts of kindness that made everyone around her feel welcome. Her family finds comfort imagining that heaven is now a little brighter, a little more organized, beautifully decorated for the season, and that somewhere, there's something wonderful baking in the oven.