Janece Herrold

Janece Rouch Herrold, 94, peacefully passed away at her home in Grass Creek, surrounded by loving family members, on Saturday, April 19, 2025.

Born Sept. 28, 1930, to Irene and Lester Rouch, Janece was a lifelong resident of Grass Creek.

She graduated from Grass Creek High School in 1948, earned her bachelor’s degree from Manchester University in 1956 and earned her master’s degree from Purdue University in 1969.

On May 11, 1951, she married Robert C. “Bob” Herrold, with whom she celebrated 61 years of marriage before his death in 2012.

Janece is survived by her children, Jessica Huffman (Alan), of Brownsburg, Lynne Dittman (Ron), of Akron, and Dale Herrold (Nancye), of Grass Creek. Janece’s descendants also include 10 grandchildren: Zach (Beth) Huffman, Alyssa Huffman, Shannon (Dan) Bayha, Travis Dittman, Troy Dittman, Kacey (Ben) Wright, Tyler (Genia) Kottkamp, Jennifer (Zack) Swiderski, Kaylyn (Mark) MacKillop and Morgan (Brett) Davis. Additionally, her 12 great-grandchildren are Luke, Drew and Will Huffman, Ella and Alex Bayha, Addison, Grant and Logan Wright, Kylie and Kennedi Kottkamp, and Mary and Daniel MacKillop. Other survivors include one sister, Carita Brown; one brother, Gerald Rouch; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

She began her long legacy in teaching in Kewanna but spent the majority of her 37-year career teaching home economics and physical education in Caston School Corp. She taught countless students to sew and cook and assisted numerous 4-H’ers with their projects. Her passion for teaching was ultimately carried out through the lessons she taught her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She did not truly retire from teaching until the end of her life.

She was a longtime member of the Grass Creek United Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday school, was an active member of the Ladies’ Aid, helped organize and prepare funeral dinners for many years, was the communion steward, and directed the Children for Christ program after school.

Janece was active in planning the annual Grass Creek Alumni Banquet. She also was a past active member of the Kewanna Order of the Eastern Star.

She was an avid sports fan, closely following the Purdue Boilermakers, as well as all Big Ten and local sports teams, the Cubs and the NFL. Other interests and talents were gardening and food preservation, baking cookies for neighbors, friends and family, and making innumerable wedding and birthday cakes for loved ones. Genealogy was another important interest of hers, as was sewing, including designing and making her daughters’ wedding dresses.

Every year for the past 55 years, she and her extended family looked forward to a weeklong vacation in Ludington, Mich. She enjoyed the conversation, meals, visits to the beach, nightly trips for ice cream, singalongs and uninterrupted time with her family.

Family was everything to Janece. She kept a detailed photographic record of all of her descendants’ activities, and she wrote a personalized song for each grandchild and great-grandchild. She kept in touch with family and friends alike with texts, phone calls, emails and on Facebook, and each year hand wrote dozens of birthday and Christmas cards.

The viewing will be from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, April 24, at Rans Funeral Homes & Crematory, Metzger Chapel in Kewanna.

The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 25, at Grass Creek United Methodist Church, with viewing one hour prior to the service. Burial in Grass Creek Cemetery will follow.

Memorial contributions may be made to Grass Creek Cemetery Association.

Online condolences and personal remembrances may be made to the Herrold family at ransfuneralhomes.com.