Janet Alice Knox

Janet A. (Dunn) Knox left for her Heavenly Home on July 11, 2024. She was able to end her earthly journey in the home that she and her husband, Forrest S. Knox, Jr. had built in 1969.  That home was built to give his mother a place to safely live out her days with family and Janet was able to do the same in that home, cared for by Kathy, Kirk, grandson Alex and granddaughter Tasia.

Janet was 90 years old when she passed from this life with her daughter, her loving grandson and his daughter and her dear niece and grandniece in the room to share her last moments on this plane.

Janet was born in Johnstown, Colorado on April 20, 1934 to Robert E. Dunn, DVM and Ruth Gildsig Dunn. Robert and Ruth grew up on neighboring farms in Johnstown, married and had two daughters, Janet and Helen.

The Dunn family lived in numerous places in Janet’s younger years due to her father’s job performing cattle inspections for the US Government as a veterinarian. They traveled around Eastern Colorado, Texas, Minnesota and Montana. Due to the Depression and the Dust Bowl they had some pretty shabby accommodations at times. As an infant they lived in a sheepherder’s wagon, causing her mother to fight a constant battle to keep sand out of her baby bottles by hanging wet sheets over the windows and other openings.

When she was nine, her parents divorced and her mother, Janet and her little sister, Helen, moved from Great Falls, Montana, back to Colorado to be close to her mother’s parents. Janet attended school in Loveland and graduated from Loveland High School in 1952. She became a sort of class historian and mother hen for her class. Her lifelong friendships with classmates spurred her drive to work on the committee planning to gather classmates regularly for reunions and monthly get togethers of her special friends. Janet kept copious records and photos of the events and kept in touch with so many classmates faithfully.

Janet and Forrest attended the First United Methodist Church in Loveland and met while attending youth activities there. They were lifelong faithful members of the Church and spent many hours practicing and singing in the Chancel Choir there.

Janet was the mother of two children who were born less than 13 months apart. Mary Kathleen (Kathy) Dench was born during Janet’s Senior year working toward a teaching degree at University of Colorado, Boulder. She chose to concentrate of motherhood and put school on hold, especially when Forrest Steven (Steve) was born. She still became a teacher as a wonderful mother who encouraged reading, playing childhood games, hiking and participating in many enriching activities with her children and nurturing their love of learning. She planned the best kids’ birthday parties, sewed doll clothes, baked cookies and so many other things. She was a quintessential mom of the 50’s and 60s!

Janet was involved in many clubs and organizations in Loveland and held leadership positions in some of them over the years.  She was especially interested in Loveland History and was an avid Family History researcher. She loved to read and had a house full of books, especially history books. She also loved her time working at Hallmark stores in Loveland and Fort Collins and became a collector of all things Hallmark, especially ornaments. She filled her home with her many eclectic collections of anything that interested her. She had many photos and albums bursting with the record of reunions, family events and outings and the many trips she and Forrest took.

Janet loved dogs and especially basset hounds. She also dearly loved her friends and was a caring and giving friend to everyone. She was very close to her friend from her days in Great Falls, Shirley Payne Sanders, whom she called her sister.

Janet was proud of her Danish heritage on her mother’s side of the family.  Both of her grandparents emigrated from Denmark. She was able to take a trip of a lifetime with Forrest and her mother to visit Copenhagen where her grandmother grew up, and also see the countryside of her grandfather’s beginnings. They visited with family still living there and also some German relatives from her father’s side of the tree.

Janet was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Forrest S. Knox, Jr. in 2013. Her son, Steve died in 2018.  Her mother, Ruth Young, died in 2019 just three weeks shy of reaching age 105 and her sisters-in-law Virginia Knox Vandapool (Raymond) and Lois Knox Young (Frederick).

She is survived by her daughter and beloved “son,” Kathy Dench and Kirk Bright of Loveland, former son-in-law, Tim Dench of Florida, grandsons Kevin M. Dench (Rhiannon) of Thornton, CO, Randall K. Dench and Alexander B. Dench both of Loveland and her four granddaughters, Rhiella, Emalee, Tasia and Sophie Dench, her sister Helen Adams, nieces, Jolene Hart Assenzio, Susan Young Carter, Candace Young Richey (Don) and Nichole Vandapool Howlett, nephews, Gary Hart (Tohnni), Richard Vandapool (Francie), and Gary Young (Donna).

A memorial service will be held September 9th at 4pm at Viegut Funeral Home, a reception will follow after service. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions would be gratefully accepted to support final expenses or Pathways Hospice whose angels so lovingly supported us in caring for Janet in her final weeks.