Janet Rae Krause

September 8, 1918 to November 17, 2017

Janet Rae Krause passed away November 17, 2017 in Parker, CO. Janet was born September 8, 1918, in Lake Preston, SD to Gladys Janet and Mark Hall Plowman. Janet grew up in Lake Preston and graduated from Lake Preston High School in 1936. Janet always showed incredible compassion and kindness to family and friends. She attended Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in Watertown, SD, where she passed nursing boards with honors in 1939. On the advice of her uncle, Dr. Harold Rae, Janet took advanced nursing classes at the University of Colorado. She also worked as a nurse at several different Denver hospitals.

During WWII, Janet enlisted in the Army Nursing Corp. In 1944 she attended basic training at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, CO. After completing her Basic Training, she helped set up the 200th General Hospital at Camp Ellis, IL. From there, she was deployed to France, where she and her fellow nurses established Army General Hospitals in Etretat, Paris and Soissons. They celebrated VE Day in Soissons on May 8, 1945, in a former French Garrison. Being on the front lines of WWII, Janet provided critical medical care and kind words with some of our wounded soldiers. One soldier, whom Janet cared for, named his daughter after her. At the end of the war, Janet was a relief nurse at the 130th Station Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, for General George Patton after his car accident. Janet always praised the Army Corpsman who helped the nurses. Janet was part of the “Greatest generation” which she clearly epitomized.

After WWII ended, Janet was assigned to Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, CA. She resigned from the Amy at that time. While at Fort MacArthur she ran into a high school friend, LeRoy Krause. They went out for dinner and soon started dating. They fell in love and were married on April 3, 1947, in Long Beach, CA. They moved to Kansas City, MO, where LeRoy attended the University of Missouri to obtain his post-doctorate degree in orthodontics. In 1950 they relocated to Mitchell, SD where LeRoy was an orthodontist until he retired in 1990. Janet worked for him as his office manager

Janet and LeRoy were very active in the Mitchell community in First Lutheran Church. They were also charter members of the Sioux Falls Horseless Carriage Club of America and participated in many events with their antique cars. Janet was always thinking of others, especially of someone in time of need, by visiting them and bringing them coffee, food and flowers.

Janet, or as she was affectionately called by many, Johnnie, is survived by her daughter, Karla (Deen); three grandchildren, Jeff (Kori), Jennifer (Brent), and John (Danya); two step-grandchildren, Daniel and Laura (Eric); five great grandchildren, Chloe, Nicholas, Tessa, Seth and Isla; nephew, Jim Adrian and niece, Lisa Koorbusch.

Janet was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, LeRoy, their daughter Mary, their great grandson Dylan, her parents, her sister Maryetta, and her uncle Harold Rae.  

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