Janet Ranfeld, 85 of Deep River, passed away Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the English Valley Care Center in North English. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 Monday, October 5, 2026 at the St. John’s Lutheran Church near Victor. Burial will be in the St. John’s Lutheran Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Sunday, October 4, 2026 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home in Montezuma. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Calvary Lutheran Church or the Deep River Fire Department. Holland-Coble Funeral Home of Montezuma is in charge of arrangements.

Janet Elaine Ranfeld, the daughter of Lester and Helen (Piersel) Hite, was born on October 30, 1940 in New Sharon, Iowa. She graduated from New Sharon High School with the class of 1958. Janet’s journey began with brief stops working at Rockwell Collins and in Pella before marrying Robert Ranfeld on September 24, 1960 and began the chapter that would define so much of her life. She became a farm wife, and if you’ve spoken to anyone who knew her well, you’ve probably heard that same thing: Janet worked harder than any man. She poured herself into her church and community. Her faith was the foundation of her life. She attended church faithfully, served as a church secretary, helped with Vacation Bible School, participated in Ladies Aid, and was involved in local clubs. Janet didn’t just talk about her faith; she lived everyday through service, generosity, and caring for others.

She and Bob shared a wonderful life together and knew how to have fun. They loved dancing and escaping south during the winter months. In fact, sometimes they practically danced their way south, making sure to stop at Big Joe’s in Texas for good polka along the way. Wherever there was music and a dance floor, there was a good chance Janet and Bob would find it. Janet had many talents and hobbies. She loved shopping, sewing, quilting, and crafting of every kind. Her hands were rarely still. She created beautiful quilts for graduations, weddings, anniversaries, babies, and countless lap robes for churches. Many people here likely have something she made, stitched together with not only skill but also love.

Outside, she cultivated another kind of beauty. Her large garden and flower beds filled with lilies and hostas would make any master gardener proud. She even helped build the family home, proving there was very little she couldn’t do when she put her mind to it. Family was always at the center of Janet’s heart. She was immensely proud of her grandchildren and cherished every opportunity to gather everyone together around a table that inevitably held far more food than anyone could possibly eat. In the final weeks of her life, she received one more special blessing when she got to meet her great-grandson. Seeing her hold and meet the newest member of the family brought her great joy. It was a moment that perfectly reflected what mattered most to Janet: Faith, family, and the generations she helped nurture with her love. Janet also loved to read, and she did it with the same determination she brought to everything else. Reading six or more books a week wasn’t unusual for her. During harvest, while helping put crops into the bins, she somehow still found time to work her way through stacks of books. Most of us struggle to finish one book in a month; Janet treated books like she was trying to clear the library shelves. Her life was marked by caring for others. As a young woman, she helped care for her grandmother when she came to live with the family. Later she became the trusted driver and helper for both her parents and Bob’s parents, making countless trips to appointments and wherever they needed to go. In later years, she lovingly cared for Bob through his battle with Alzheimer’s. Caregiving wasn’t simply something Janet did; it was part of who she was. If we were honest, Janet wasn’t perfect, and she wouldn’t want us to be pretending otherwise. She could be stubborn. She could be outspoken. She was definitely a workaholic. If something needed to be done, Janet was already halfway through doing it before anyone else realized it needed attention. But alongside that determination was an enormous heart. Her strength and generosity touched countless lives.

She also inherited a trait from Grandpa Hite and proudly passed it along to her children and grandchildren: always arriving early. Not on time. Early. Very early. To spouses who married into the family and discovered this tradition, we’re sorry. But now you know exactly who to thank. As we remember Janet, we remember a woman of deep faith, unwavering dedication, and tremendous love. We remember her dancing with Bob, tending her flowers, quilting for the people she loved, caring for those in need, and showing up early for just about everything. We remember a woman who worked hard, spoke her mind, loved her family fiercely, and left the world better than she found it. Her life reminds us that greatness is often found in ordinary acts of faithfulness: caring for family, serving others, helping neighbors, sharing a meal, sewing a quilt, planting a garden. Or showing up when you’re needed. Janet’s hands may be at rest now, but the legacy they created lives on in the quilts that warm us, the flowers that bloom, the family she loved, and the values she passed down. And if Heaven has a dance floor, we can all imagine Janet and Bob finding it, stepping onto it together, and dancing once again.

Her legacy will be honored by her children, Chris (Ron) Grier of Guernsey and Steve (Pam) Ranfeld of Guernsey; grandchildren, Ryan Grier, Justin Ranfeld and Maisey (Carson) Haines; her great grandson, Colter Haines; her brother-in-law, Darrell Klein of Oskaloosa; sisters-in-law, Carol Hite of New Sharon and Pat Hite of Pella along with many nieces, nephews and friends.

Janet was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert Ranfeld; her brothers, Merlin Hite and Curtis Hite; her sister, Joyce Klein and her sister-in-law, Wilma Johnson.