Janice Pankratz

Salina, Kansas Janice Pankratz Janice Pankratz, 54, of Salina, passed away Saturday, April 7, 2012 at Hospice of Salina. Janice was born to Verlon and Ruby (Koegeboehn) Mueller in Herington, Kansas on May 20, 1957. She graduated from Herington High School in 1975 and went on to graduate from Kansas State University in 1979, Recreation Therapy BS and was a Certified Recreation Therapist. On October 10, 1981, Janice married Larry Pankratz. Janice was a Past President of the Kansas Recreation and Parks Association 2006, Therapeutic and Aging Committee and was Awarded Three National Gold Metals from the National Recreation Parks Association. She became Supervisor of the Special Populations and 50 Plus Programs in 1987, of the Salina Parks and Recreation Department. Janice made a difference in so many people's lives as she has guided them around the world in the various programs she supervised. Janice was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, Chancel choir, and various committees. She was on the Hospice of Salina Board, Girl Scouts board, Noon Network AMBUCS, Saline County Social Services Council, YMCA Board, K-State Alumni and various community committees/councils. Janice loved helping people, making things for others, traveling, and worked on numerous craft projects. She is preceded in death by her mother Ruby, father and mother-in-law, Elmer and Lydia Pankratz. Survivors include her husband, Larry, Salina; daughters, Bethany Shelly and husband Matt, and grandsons Maxwell and Baron, Las Vegas, Nevada, Natalie Pankratz and fianc Nick Brooks, and grandson Burton, Salina; father, Verlon Mueller and friend Ruth Smith, Herington; brother, Ray and wife Susan Mueller, nephews, Kris and Jacob, Herington; sister-in-law, Linda (Pankratz) and Dan Wiese, Juneau, Alaska; niece, Lindsay and Jon Ralph, Homer, Alaska, nephews, Jeremy and Alethea Wiese, and Joshua and Stacey Wiese, Boise, Idaho; brother-in-law, Mark Pankratz, Hillsboro; adopted son, Dante Taylor, wife, Stacey, son, Noah, daughter, Skye, Keswick, Virginia In lieu of flowers please donate to one of the following memorials Trinity United Methodist Building Fund, Hospice of Salina, Terry C. Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research at KSU, or the National Kidney Foundation. Friends are invited to call Tuesday, April 10, 2012 from 10 am - 8 pm at Carlson - Geisendorf Funeral Home, Salina with family present from 6 pm - 8 pm. A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 pm, Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at Trinity United Methodist Church, Salina, with Rev. Barry Dundas officiating.