Janice L. Lennon (Jan), 83, of Sioux City, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at UnityPoint Hospital. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Elevate Church, 1421 Geneva Street. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the family for MomCo of Sunnybrook Community Church, or given directly to the organization in Jan’s memory at www.sunnybrookchurch.org

Jan was born on April 3, 1943, in Lake Park, Iowa, to Cecil and Lorraine (McGuigan) Johnson. She graduated from Round Lake High School as salutatorian. On May 23, 1964, Jan married Michael Lennon (Mike) in Worthington, Minnesota, and to this union four children were born. They raised their family in Sioux City, first in a small house on Jennings Street and ultimately in the big white house on Nebraska Street.

Jan spent most of her career working for Yellow Freight Trucking Company, with an intermission serving at Siouxland Counsel on Alcoholism in the late 1980s, before returning to Yellow. She also began working part-time at JCPenney in the late 1990s in what started as a seasonal position but turned into more than 20 years of service—and a lifetime discount! In 2010, she was called out of retirement working alongside Marks family for 10 years at Pita Pit. She enjoyed taking customer orders and proudly wore her custom shirt with her official title of White Puff.

She was an active and beloved member of Elevate Church while also remaining very involved with Sunnybrook Church, where she volunteered in several ministries. She did her best never to miss her Tuesday morning Bible study or Fridays at MOPS/MomCo, where she served as a mentor mom.

In the early years of raising her family, Jan enjoyed playing cards with several other couples while all their small children played together. She was even a bit of a bowler. If you knew Jan, you knew she loved playing bingo—not for the winnings, but for time spent with her friends, especially Marlys, and the thrill of calling “Bingo!” in a crowded room.

Second only to her faith, nothing meant more to Jan than her family. She grew up surrounded by a large family of siblings and cousins who gathered each year for the Johnson family reunion. She helped carry on that tradition long after her parents passed and was thankful to attend one last reunion this past July.

There was nothing she loved more than gathering around a table with her family to play cards or a board game, laugh uncontrollably, and enjoy plenty of snacks. We will all miss her cucumbers and onions, Chex Mix, pumpkin muffins, and whatever new recipe she brought for us to try, as well as texting or calling her when we need the details of one of those or Grandma Lorraine’s recipes. She was also known to break into song and was a great dancer whenever the music moved her.

You could almost always find Jan at one of her grandchildren or great grandchildren’s events, faithfully cheering them on. Encouragement was truly her gift. She was incredibly proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, both near and far, and loved sharing updates about their lives. She faithfully and fervently prayed for each of them through both the joys and challenges of life. She will be remembered for her generous soul, truly joyful spirit, and example of grace and forgiveness.

Those left to cherish her memory include her children: Michael P. Lennon Jr. and his wife, Betty, of Houston, Texas, and their children, Michael P. Lennon III (Tripp) and Margaret (Maggie); Michelle L. Linden and her husband, Steve, of McCook Lake, McCook,SD , and their children, Brittany Hodge and her husband, Corey, Steven and his wife, Stephanie, Alexander (Alex), Benjamin (Ben), and Andrew and his fiancé, Samra; Mark A. Lennon and his wife, Michele, of Dakota City, Nebraska, and their children, Lauren Roberg and her husband, Seth, and Nicholas (Nick); and Molly Oedekoven and her husband, Matt, of Rock Rapids, Iowa, and their children, Georgie, Elsie, Maisie, Henry, Charlie, and Landry; eight great-grandchildren, Madelynn (Maddi), Brooklyn, Jack, Trey, Rylan, Kovey, Evalynn, and Paisley; her siblings, Sevie Johnson (Al), Jil Clarkson, and Dr. Andrew Johnson and his wife, Monica; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her siblings, Devere and Tom; her infant grandchildren born silent, Abby, Bentley, and Colby Oedekoven; her former husband, Mike; and her sister-in-law, Fran.