Janet Krogstad
KROGSTAD - Janet Marion Krogstad (Krutz) age 49 of Marengo, SK passed away on July 29, 2022. Janet was born on June 15, 1973, in Preeceville, SK. Janet, the third child of Steve and Margaret Krutz, grew up on a farm west of Endeavour, SK, where she spent much of her time playing with the farm animals and exploring the woods that surrounded her parents’ land looking for mushrooms and berries. Her love for animals and nature would remain throughout her entire life as she raised chickens, ducks, sheep, horses, dogs, and lots of cats! As a young girl, Janet also spent many hours travelling to auction sales with her parents, who were looking for treasures to sell in their antique shop. This would continue to be a great passion for Janet, who at a young age could spot a terrific deal. Her home was filled with the special finds she found with her parents. Janet attended Endeavour School from Kindergarten to grade 8 and graduated from Sturgis Composite School in 1991. Faith was central in Janet’s life. After high school, she attended the Covenant Bible college in Prince Albert for one year before moving to Kindersley, SK, to live with her sister Corinne and brother-in-law John.
Janet’s first job in Kindersley was at Prairie Rose Florist Shop, where she learned to create beautiful floral arrangements. Later, she worked at Home Hardware in Kindersley. While working, Janet completed the SAIST Educational Assistant course through Prairie West Community College. She started working as an EA at Westberry School in Kindersley and would later move to Kindersley Composite School to continue working with the student she was helping.
Janet married Robert Krogstad of Kindersley on April 29, 1995. They were married in Janet’s childhood church St. James Anglican Church in Endeavour, SK. In late 2002 Janet and Robert started the process of international adoption. In October of 2004, they travelled to China to adopt their 10-month-old daughter Rachel Elizabeth. Janet always said that Rachel was her best Thanksgiving Day present ever. Janet loved being a mother, so she chose to leave her EA position to stay at home with Rachel. In 2006 the family left Kindersley for country living when they bought an acreage out by Marengo. Returning to her farm roots on the acreage, Janet put in a garden, planted trees, and raised a variety of farm-yard birds and later got into sheep. Janet’s love of all the animals was passed on to her children as they spent countless hours in the lambing barn and the chicken coop watching the baby chicks. During this time, Janet supplemented the family’s income as an in-home babysitter. In 2009, while pursuing a second international adoption, Janet and Rob were given the opportunity for a private adoption in Saskatchewan. Their second child arrived on Christmas Eve 2009. Janet received a call that their baby was coming, so Janet, Robert and Rachel loaded up and travelled down to Moosomin to be in the hospital for the birth of their second child Joel William, who became the family’s best Christmas present that year. Janet continued to stay at home with the kids and animals until the fall of 2015, when she was offered an educational assistant position at Prairie View Hutterite Colony in Sibbald, AB. This became her second favourite job in the world after raising her children. She always said the Colony felt like home, and she loved both the children and their family members.
Janet and her family spent many summers travelling around the province, attending horse shows with her daughter Rachel. Holidays and summer also meant family trips to visit Janet’s parents in Endeavour and later to Canora or the family cabin. She also loved trips to the lake and any special times together with her family. Janet’s life changed significantly when both her parents died unexpectedly in the summer of 2019. In the fall of 2021, Janet was diagnosed with breast cancer, so she underwent treatments until the summer of 2022. With a good prognosis, she chose to spend her summer visiting a friend in Mexico, where tragically, her trip and life were cut short.
She was predeceased by her parents Margaret (Brown) and Steve Krutz, grandparents Inga (Berg) and Henry Brown and Michalena (Lozinsky) and Nick Krutz and mother-in-law Diane Krogstad. Janet leaves behind her husband Robert, children Rachel and Joel, sisters Teresa and Corinne (John), niece Brittany (Jonathan) and nephews Jordan (Meaghan), Christopher and Keenan. She also leaves behind father-in-law Norman, father-in-law William, mother-in-law Ruth, sister-in-law Sheryl (Bryan) and many aunts, uncles, cousins and numerous friends and coworkers.
The service will be held on September 3 at St Olaf Lutheran Church in Kindersley at 1:00 PM.