Janet Marcum, 76, of Grinnell, died on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at her residence in Grinnell and under the care of UnityPoint Grinnell Regional Hospice.

A celebration of her life will be held at 10:30 am, Friday, June 7, 2024, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell with Pastor Boyd Sparks officiating. A reception will follow at the St. Francis Manor Social Center in Grinnell.

Her family will receive friends at the visitation held from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Thursday, June 6, 2024 at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell.

Memorial contributions may be designated to Iowa Methodist School of Nursing Alumni Association, UnityPoint Grinnell Regional Hospice, or to Smith Monument to assist the family in purchasing a limestone bench to be placed at Krumm Preserve west of Grinnell. Memories and condolences may be shared with Janet's family online at www.smithfh.com.

Janet was born August 26, 1947 in Des Moines, Iowa, the daughter of Paul William Muehlenthaler and Marian (Hokel) Muehlenthaler. She was raised in Des Moines and was a graduate of East Des Moines High School with the Class of 1965, Iowa Methodist Hospital School of Nursing Class of 1968, and Graceland University. She served as a registered nurse for 50 years. After moving to Grinnell, she was employed by Grinnell Regional Medical Center, now part of UnityPoint, for 17 years. Most recently, she was employed by the Mayflower Community in Grinnell for 15 years. While employed as the Nurse Coordinator for Assisted Living at Mayflower, her passion was servant leadership and team-building.

In 1969, Janet married Arthur Stuchis, Jr. in Des Moines, and they were married 19 years. To this union, they were blessed with a son, Chad Alan, and a daughter, Kristin Jo. In 1995, Janet married Jack Marcum in Grinnell. Janet especially cherished her role of motherhood and enjoyed her children's activities and accomplishments. She took pleasure in such interests as writing (particularly memoir vignettes,) life-long learning, organizing, ballroom dancing, attending musicals, listening to bluegrass and "oldies" music, exploring quaint small towns, and spending the fourth of July each year in Slater. She cherished get-togethers with her children, sisters, cousins, and friends. Janet appreciated her Swiss and Norwegian heritage and loved preparing the Norwegian foods: kringla, kumla, and lefsa. She enjoyed attending Story City's annual Scandinavian Days, and was happy for the opportunity to attend Decorah's Nordic Fest in 2015.

Janet enjoyed traveling, and while her children studied or worked in other countries, she visited them in Chile, Russia, Czech Republic, and Italy. In 2010, she was happy to join long-time nurse friends on a trip to France. She was also delighted when her children made possible a trip in 2013 to Norway, land of her maternal ancestors, with sisters and brothers-in-law.

She will be remembered for kindness, sweetness, easygoing, caring generosity, her thoughtfulness, diligence, emotional intelligence, her subtle sense of humor, and hospitality.

Janet was preceded in death by her parents and by her husband, Jack Marcum, of Grinnell. She is survived by her son, Chad Alan Stuchis of Grinnell, her daughter, Kristin Jo Stuchis (Michael Gabler) of Marshalltown and their son, Noah Gabler of Duluth, Minnesota; three sisters, Ann Brunkhorst of Iowa Falls, Paula Brown of Des Moines, Sharon Overton of Titusville, Florida; her special friend, Pastor Boyd Sparks of Montezuma; two stepsons, Scott Marcum of Blockton, and Jay Marcum of Spring Hill, Tennessee; five step-grandchildren; and eight step-great-grandchildren.