Jan was born on January 31, 1948 in Richmond, VA the daughter of Frank and Juanita (Wright) Downey who preceded her in death. On April 25, 1966 in Fulton, MO she was united in marriage to Gale Edward Conn. She was a member of Southside Baptist Church and a loyal member of the Red Hat Society and American Business Women’s Association in Fulton, MO. She was a special education teacher at Fulton High School and then she went on to teach at Mexico High School, before retiring. After retirement, she worked as a special education teacher at Cole County Prenger Family Center and JCAC in Jefferson City, MO. Jan had a huge heart and was very dedicated to her students throughout the years. Her hobbies included collecting Christmas items, gardening, crafting, reading and traveling with her husband, Gale. Her love for the beach, peacocks, flamingos and Hallmark Movies was well known by everyone that knew her. Her greatest joy was her children and grandchildren and watching them succeed and grow.
Survivors include her husband of 56 years, Gale Conn of the home; two sons, Richard Conn (Rebecca) of Ft Myers, FL and Jason Conn (Krystal) of Eldon, MO; one daughter, Melissa Ruecker (AJ) of Rosebud, MO; two sisters, Claire Downey of Washington DC and Joan Strickland (John) of Minneapolis, MN; 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She was also preceded in death by her daughter, Victoria Gayle Conn in 1972 and one brother, Brian Downey.
Visitation will be held on Monday, April 4, 2022 from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm at Debo Funeral Home. Funeral service be on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 1:00 pm at the funeral home with Rev. Ron Baker officiating. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery, Fulton, MO.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Missouri Girls Town Foundation, c/o Debo Funeral Home, 833 Court St, Fulton, MO 65251.
