Jane Marie (Woltz) Abbott

Jane Marie (Woltz) Abbott, 76, of Clarion passed away March 21, 2020 at her home after a 2 ½ year battle with ovarian cancer.

A memorial visitation for Jane Abbott will be Monday, October 5, 2020 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Ewing Funeral Home, 1801 Central Avenue East in Clarion, with a brief service to follow. Those planning to attend are encouraged to wear a mask.

Jane was born to Wilfred and Iva (Brayton) Woltz on October 5, 1943 in rural Emmons, Minnesota. She attended school in Burt, Iowa where she played high school basketball.

Jane was a small lady, with a huge heart. She was a very caring and giving person, as anyone knowing her could tell you. After school, Jane got married and was a stay-at-home Mom in Omaha, Nebraska for some time. Later she would move to back to Burt, she worked at Exceptional Opportunity, a care facility, for the handicapped and disabled. A while later she would remarry and move to Algona, Iowa, where she worked as a cook at the Chrome Restaurant, then a move to Emmetsburg, Iowa where she raised her youngest son. Jane cooked and tended the Emmet County jail. She was employed at the local movie theater, operating the projectors and taking care of the concessions. A few years later, she would move to Monona, Iowa, where she was joint owner/operator of a small motel and a laundromat.

In 1994, she moved to Clarion and was employed at Unlimited Opportunities for several years, as a care giving staff member and later as a supervisor.

In January of 1995, she met Roger Abbott and on August 17, 2001 they were married. They have resided in Clarion since that time. Jane stayed at home for a time after the wedding, but felt she had to get back to work !!!  Something she was never afraid to do. She stayed in the food service industry working in the kitchen at Doc Stop, adding to the menu by offering actual ‘Noon Specials’ a welcome change to the community. After its closing, she went to the Clarion Super Foods Deli a short time. A chance came to sign on with Kid’s Korner daycare, as the cook, a placed Jane loved being, because of the ability to connect and share healthy eating habits with the children. Upon her so called retirement, when Roger retired in 2011, she continued to work as a food preparer, helping in the kitchen at Daisy’s on Main, a place she was able to do some different types of things, until their closing.

Jane loved music, cooking and baking, spending time outdoors from spring to fall. Tending to her flower gardens and mowing, both in town and at the “Cabin” at Elm Lake. Watching baseball New York Yankees and football Hawkeyes, Cyclones and da Bears along with college basketball, Hawkeyes, Cyclones and the NCAA Tournament were also things she looked forward to doing. Reading and doing Word Searches and making greeting cards were her quiet time activities. Last but not least, she certainly enjoyed the time she had with her cats, Lulu, Mister, Kid, Hairy, Hobo, Stinky and Dicky. No, they were not all here at the same time !!!!!

She loved spending time with her family, but didn’t always get the chances to do that, because, in her words, there was always work to do.

Jane is survived by her husband, Roger Abbott of Clarion, children, Larry in Wisconsin, Teresa in Florida, David in Nevada and Jon in Kansas; 13 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; three sisters Judy Woltz in Minnesota, Jeanetta (Richard) Simpson of Algona, and Patricia (Paul) Weber of Algona; brother Mike Woltz of West Des Moines; and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents and grandparents.

Memorial contributions may be left to the family and will be distributed at their discretion at a later date.