Janet D. Marquardt

Janet Darlene Marquardt, 76, was born May 15, 1947, in Benson, Minnesota, the daughter of Phaen and Dorothy Mae (Iler) Pittman. She was baptized March 15, 2024, by Pastor Katrina at West Wind Village in Morris. She grew up in Holloway, Kerkhoven, and Murdock. She attended school in Kerkhoven and Willmar, graduating from Willmar Senior High School.

Janet was united in marriage to Donald Ernest Marquardt in October of 1975 at the Lutheran Church in Murdock. This union was blessed with over 15 years of marriage. They lived in Murdock and Janet drove Semi with Donald; after his death in 1990, she worked at Leader’s Manufacturing as a supervisor, and then for Willmar Manufacturing where she applied decals on the agricultural fertilizer spreaders.

Janet owned and operated Jan’s Riverside Café with her daughter April in New London, and worked there for about 15 years. She sold the cafe and decided to leave her home of 40 years in Murdock and along with her son Chad, moved to April and Keith Cramlet’s home north of Benson, which was a great blessing. Janet and Chad were grateful to move to the country away from town. She enjoyed camping, fishing, cooking, trips to the casino, watching her favorite TV shows, and playing her computer games.

Janet was an incredibly strong and independent woman. She was generous, cared deeply for her loved ones, and treasured time spent with her children and grandchildren. She fought a courageous battle against the grim diagnosis of lung cancer and the grueling toll the cancer treatments took on her. The greatest blessing of all was having Janet as a mother and grandmother. Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same, but as God calls us one by one the chain will link again. Janet was called from this life  Friday, April 12, 2024, at the West Wind Village in Morris. She attained the age of 76 years 10 months and 29 days.

She will be greatly missed by her daughter April and her husband Keith Cramlet; her grandchildren: Jeremy (Nicole) Cook, Page Cramlet, and Dalton Cramlet; her great grandchildren: Lynnsie and Jospeh Cook; her siblings:  Dianne (Jamie) Marquardt of Paso, Washington, sister-in-law Irma Pittman of  DeGraff, brother-in-law Roger Barrett of Clara City; her aunt Bonnie Thompson and her family; her close childhood friend Linda Peters of Appleton and Hazel Thronvold of Sunburg; cousins: Pam, Jeff, Pat, Kevin, John, Chrissy, and Hans; a special nephew Michael Lee; and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband Donald, parents Phaen and Dorothy, her grandparents Euphemia and Leslie Iler, and Pearl and Charles Pittman, her uncle Walt Thompson, son Chadwick Phaen Marquardt, sister Donna Mae and her husband Art Ostendorf, sister Joan Barrett, brother Donald Pittman, two nephews Jeff Barrett and Jesse Pittman, a niece Cheryl Ostendorf, a cousin Spike Thorson, and her good friend Jean Skoglund.

Blessed be her memory.

Zniewski Funeral Home of Benson assisted the family with arrangements.