Janet Lee Hartsock, 84, died Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Lawrence, Kan. Born July 14, 1940, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Willis and Gayle Hunter, Janet eventually moved to rural Kansas City, Kan., where she graduated from Washington High School. After graduating from Kansas State Teachers College (now Emporia State University), Mrs. Hartsock embarked on her life’s calling as a beloved elementary school teacher. Over four-plus decades, she taught kindergarten almost exclusively at Belinder Elementary School in the Shawnee Mission School District. Her commitment to her profession and her “kids” was unparalleled, and it would be impossible to measure the mark she left on countless lives. Janet was kind and generous, almost to a fault, giving of her time, abilities and resources as often as she could, especially to benefit young lives. The family would like to thank the staff at Neuvant House of Lawrence for their compassionate care over the past few years. Janet was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Paul Bennett Hartsock, and her brother, William “Bill” Hunter. She is survived by two sons, Eric (Annie) Hartsock, of Stevensville, Md., and Andrew (Janice) Hartsock, of Lawrence, Kan.; three grandchildren, Ashleigh, Carlyn and Brooks Hartsock; brother-in-law Jon Hartsock; and sisters-in-law Ann Tubbs and Rose Hunter. No services are planned.
