Lou Ann M. (Hill) Jansen, age 89, of Dubuque, and formerly of Sherrill, was called home peacefully at 12:15 a.m., on Sunday, December 29, 2019, at Grand Meadows, Asbury, Iowa.  To celebrate Lou Ann’s life, family and friends may visit from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., on Thursday, January 2, 2020, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, where there will be a parish scripture service held at 2:30 p.m. To honor Lou Ann’s life, funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Friday, January 3, 2020, at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Sherrill, with Rev. Noah J. Diehm officiating.  Burial will be in Ss. Peter and Paul Cemetery.

Lou Ann was born on May 9, 1930, in Farley, Iowa, daughter of Louis J. and Hilda C. (Kramer) Hill.

Lou Ann was born and raised in Farley where she would graduate high school and then go on to marry the love of her life.  She was united in marriage to Merlin “Butch” Jansen on November 5, 1951, at St. Joseph Church in Elkader, and they were blessed with 54 years and 6 children together before Merlin was called home before Lou Ann on November 28, 2005.  She and Merlin would make their home together in Sherrill for several years where Lou Ann would embrace her full time role of wife, mother and homemaker.  She would later go to work outside of her home doing the gift wrapping at Armstrong’s Department Store, and then with the housekeeping department at Finley Hospital for several years.  Lou Ann’s faith was very important to her and she was a long time, active member of Ss. Peter and Paul Church and their rosary society.  When she found some quiet time in her days she enjoyed sitting down to work on her latest crochet project or heading into town for a shopping trip with the girls.  Lou Ann also enjoyed trying her luck with the slots at the casino every once in a while.  Her family was always the most important part of Lou Ann’s days, she loved spending time with them and always kept up with everyone’s birthdays and their latest activities, especially when the grandchildren started arriving.  Lou Ann was a wonderful and dynamic mom, grandma, great-grandma and sister, we will dearly miss her.

Those left to cherish Lou Ann’s memory include

her children,
Dennis “Red” (JoAnn “Jody”) Jansen, Mud Lake, IA,
Cathy (Dan) Lahey, Sherrill, IA,
Patti (Ed) Green, Bellevue, IA,
Tom (Judy) Jansen, Dubuque, IA,
Jim (Joleen) Jansen, Elkader, IA
and Julie (Marty Rundle) Wernimont, Dubuque, IA;

her 15 grandchildren;

her 7 great-grandchildren;

her sisters-in-law,
Mary Hill, Catlett, VA,
Dee (Dr. David) Bierie, East Dubuque, IL
and Ellen Meehan, Sacramento, CA;

and many nieces and nephews.

Lou Ann was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Merlin “Butch” Jansen; her sisters, Imogene “Tim” (Angelo) Kline and Elaine Hill; 2 brothers, John (Agnes) Hill and James Hill; and her step-father, Bernard Chapman.

Lou Ann’s family would like to thank all of her friends at Applewood Apartments and her care givers at Grand Meadows, and Hospice of Dubuque, especially Betsy, these past months for all of their kind, attentive and compassionate care of Lou Ann and her entire family.

Memorials will be accepted by the family to be distributed among her favorite charities.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.behrfuneralhome.com