Janet Mary (Hampton) Kirschbaum
Janet Mary (Hampton) Kirschbaum, 51, died surrounded by her loving family, after a valiant two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer, at Crossing Rivers Health on Monday, Jan. 22, in Prairie du Chien.
Janet was born on Sept. 1, 1966, the daughter of Lee and Rosemary (Berntgen) Hampton, in Lancaster. She graduated from Cassville High School in 1984 and married Roger Kirschbaum on Sept. 28, 1985. In November of 1985, the couple welcomed their daughter, Ashley, and in March of 1988, they welcomed their son, Alan. Janet worked at Rapid Dye in Cassville for 10 years until purchasing Bloomington Meats with her husband in May of 1998.
Janet and Roger were a special couple that spent all their time together. They worked together daily and enjoyed spending their free time together. Janet loved farming, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, boating and spending time at their cabin by the woods. She especially loved riding motorcycles with Roger as they traveled the United States and Canada to see national parks and other destinations. Janet loved playing cards with her parents and friends each week. She cherished memories made traveling to Laughlin, Nev., with her parents and visiting the Grand Canyon and Oatman, Ariz. In 2013, Janet and Roger traveled to Africa and she loved the animals and people she met along the way.
In October 2015, just weeks after becoming a grandma for the third time, she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and her bucket list became more important than ever. She spent 2016 recovering from surgery for her broken hip and making weekly trips for her chemo appointments. Throughout everything, Janet never complained, and she never gave up. In February 2017, she checked ‘swimming with dolphins’ off her bucket list while on a cruise to the Bahamas with Roger, Ashley, and Mike.
May of 2017 brought news of needing more chemo. After her chemo appointment, Janet and Roger drove directly to the airport and booked flights to Washington where they began a cruise to Alaska. It was her dream and the trip of a lifetime. With it, her bucket list was complete. Janet was determined to make the most out of every day. She worked hard until her very last day and was an inspiration to those around her.
Janet is survived by her parents, Lee and Rosemary Hampton, of Bloomington; husband, Roger Joseph Kirschbaum; children, Ashley (Mike) Koeller and Alan (Lissa Heidenreich) Kirschbaum; grandchildren, Nathan, Natalie and Aubrey Koeller; siblings, Gary (Becky) Hampton, Dave (Carol) Hampton, Bruce (Bev) Hampton, Bill Hampton, Cindy (Charles) Humphrey, Tim Hampton, Dan (Kari) Hampton; mother-in-law, Bernadine Kirschbaum; sister-in laws, Kathy Perry, Debbie Smith, Marcia Kirschbaum, and Joleen (Rich) Oyen; brothers-in-law, Brian (Wanda) Kirschbaum and Steve (Sarah) Kirschbaum; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.
She is preceded in death by her brother, Wayne Hampton; father-in-law, Donald Kirschbaum; and sister in-law, Renee Hampton.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, Jan. 29, at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bloomington with Father John Meinholz officiating. Burial will be in Gockel Cemetery, Glen Haven Township. Family and friends may call on Sunday, Jan. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and on Monday from 10 a.m. until time of services at the church. Martin Schwartz Funeral Home & Crematory in Bloomington is serving the family In lieu of flowers, a Janet M. Kirschbaum Memorial Fund has been established. Online condolences may be left at www.martinschwartzfuneralhomes.com.
