Janet L. Hays passed away peacefully in the company of her daughters on April 23, 2017, at the age of 84 years in Prairie Village, Kansas.

Janet was born on March 9, 1933 in Hastings, Nebraska to W.S. (Scott) and Olga (Christianson) Mollring. She grew up on the Mollring farm near Holbrook, Nebraska and after graduation from Holbrook High School, attended Hastings College.

She married Richard D. Hays on December 28, 1951 in Arapahoe, Nebraska. His death occurred on June 24, 1974.

In her career spanning 37 years, Janet was a legal secretary in Dodge City and Leavenworth Kansas and retired in 1998 after 29 years as the Office/Business Manager of Eagle Communications, Inc. in Hays.

She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hays, where she served on the Church Council as Treasurer and a member of numerous committees, and was a member of the Chancel Choir for many years.

As a young woman in Dodge City, Janet was a charter member of the Sweet Adelines and sang in both a quartet and the chorus. She enjoyed playing the piano, and had a vast collection of sheet music. She was a reader, a writer of poems, and a solver of challenging crossword puzzles.

After her retirement in 1998, she was an active volunteer in Hays, including service as a board member of Dream, Inc., the Cancer Council of Ellis County, and the Friends of the Library Council. She volunteered at the Sternberg Museum and the Friends of the Library bookstore.

Janet moved from Hays in 2013 to be closer to her daughters and remained as active as her health permitted. After moving to Prairie Village in 2015, Janet resided at Brighton Gardens Assisted Living and became a member of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, where she enjoyed the fellowship of the Church’s book club and Prime Timers group.

Survivors include her son, Rick Hays, Laramie, Wyoming; two daughters, LeeAnne Hays of Kansas City, Missouri and Christine McKellip and husband Ole of Newton, Kansas; five grandchildren: Michelle Harkness and husband Dennis Daily; Ed Hays and wife Mary Aguayo; Hannah Gross and husband Perry; Brad McKellip, and Charlotte Renollet and husband Cale; three great-grandchildren, Lela, Elsie, and Mitchell Hays, and brother Bill Mollring of Imperial, Nebraska. Other survivors include six nephews and one niece, whom she loved dearly.

Janet was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Marjorie Story, and her nephew Joel Story.

A memorial service will be held at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 9100 Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kansas, on Friday, May 5, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. preceded by visitation with the family commencing at 10:00 a.m. Private graveside services will be held at the Holbrook (Nebraska) Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Cancer Council of Ellis County, 701 Riley Street, Hays, Kansas, 67601.