Janis Kay Ek

Janis Kay Ek, age 74, of Mapleton, passed away peacefully on May 13, 2026.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, June 14, 2026, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Blu Bair Bar, 100 S Main St, Delavan, MN. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to her daughters, Lisa or Abby.

Janis was born on July 30, 1951, to Luverne “Red” and Betty Alschlager in Mankato. She grew up in Mapleton and graduated from Mapleton High School in 1969. Janis worked at Johnson Fishing and Midwest Electric.

She married Dennis Schultz in May 1973, and together they had two children, Lisa and Abby. In 1976, Janis began working in housekeeping at Mapleton Community Home. Dennis passed away in August 1999. In June 2000, she remarried Brian Ek and moved to North Carolina, where she continued her housekeeping career at the Holiday Inn Express. After their divorce in 2008, she returned to Mapleton and continued working at Mapleton Community Home until her retirement in December 2016.

Janis enjoyed completing puzzles, latch hook and ceramics projects, collecting lighthouses, playing cards, and most of all, spending time with her family.

Janis is survived by her children, Lisa (Chris Hill) Schultz and Abby (Tim) Tomisin; grandchildren MaKenna Hill, Timmy, and Ryker Tomisin; as well as aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends.

Janis was preceded in death by her husband, Dennis, and her parents, Luverne “Red” and Betty Alschlager.