Janice Harpold

We sadly say goodbye to our beloved mom, grandma, aunt and sister Janice (Jan) Harpold. She won her last Euchre game and was surrounded by her loving family when she went home to dance with Jesus on June 2, 2024, at 89 years old.

Mom was born on August 8, 1934, to Lloyd Slaback and Ella (Jantz) Slaback in Richland County, Wisconsin near Viola. She graduated from high school in LaFarge, WI and went on to graduate from Normal School at Vernon County Teachers College. In August of 1955 she married Richard Harpold and to this union 3 daughters were born. Later, after they divorced, Mom went back to school and graduated from UW Whitewater in 1974 with a master's degree in special education. She worked with the severely, profoundly handicapped at Central Wisconsin Center for the Developmentally Disabled. Her work was with non-communicative special needs students. She took great pride in developing ways for her students to communicate in a pre-tech world. Mom later went to work at the Wisconsin State School for the Blind in Janesville, Wisconsin. She was a single parent who worked hard to provide all that she could for her three daughters, and after retirement, she moved to Billings to be closer to them.

Mom loved to sew, knit, play Euchre and dance! Many Easters we would be dressed in matching Easter dresses sewn with love, by Mom. Many holiday gatherings she spent partnered with one of her sisters at the Euchre table usually talking straight through every game and seemingly never paying attention but winning anyway much to the dismay of the more serious Euchre players. In addition to cards, Mom had a passion for ballroom dance. She created many beautiful memories for us while growing up in Madison, teaching us her passion for dance during our traditional Wisconsin Friday night Fish Fries with live bands. She had no trouble finding places to dance once she moved to Billings and, although she struggled to walk without a walker, she could dance around the ballroom floor with the greatest of ease.

Mom is preceded in death by her parents and 3 older brothers LaVerne, Marvin and Carl Slaback. She is survived by her daughters Brenda (David) Binstock and grandchildren Kyrsta, Karsen (Isabel and baby Binstock due in November) and Karter; Kathy Harpold; and Stella Harpold (Del Jasper) and grandchildren Emma Harpold and Ethan and Colin Milligan; and sisters Darlene (Jim) Retzlaff and Elaine (Tony) Baxter and many nieces and nephews.

The family will have a private graveside service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzeheimer's Association on her tribute page

https://act.alz.org/site/TR/Events/Tributes-AlzheimersChampions?pg=fund&fr_id=1060&pxfid=886013

or a charity of one's choice.