Janis Faye Sibley Koch

With profound sadness and deep love, we remember and celebrate the extraordinary life of Janis Faye Sibley Koch, who departed from this world on June 11, 2026, in Hastings, Nebraska. Janis was born on July 13, 1947, in Beloit, Kansas—a place whose warmth and hardworking spirit shaped her from her earliest days.

Janis’ journey through life was marked by love, dedication, and a steadfast commitment to her family and those she cherished. She graduated from Beloit High School in 1965 and continued her studies at North Central Kansas Area Vocational Technical College, also in Beloit. These formative years prepared her for a life grounded in purpose, resilience, and devotion.

Janis embraced every role she was given with grace and determination. She found joy working alongside Kenny on the ranch, tending to cattle and pigs, and overseeing pivots for their cropland. The rhythm of rural life was at the heart of her day-to-day, where hard work and a strong sense of responsibility came naturally to her. Later in life, Janis treasured long conversations with her siblings, each call a thread in the tapestry of the family she held so close.

It is nearly impossible to recount Janis’ life without feeling the warmth and kindness that radiated from her. She was known as a loving, beautiful, and caring soul, whose devotion to her family never wavered. Her children and grandchildren were the jewels of her life, but it was the time she gave to her great-grandchildren that perhaps brought her the most joy in recent years. The adoration they felt for their great-grandmother was matched only by her unselfish devotion to them. Janis cared for them with a love that was boundless, nurturing, and unwavering.

Janis leaves behind her beloved spouse, Kenneth Pelc; her daughter, Keri Koch Nissen; her son, Kris Koch; her cherished granddaughter Emily Nissen and grandson Christopher Koch; and three adored great-grandsons—Easton, Benton, and Leiton Nissen. Her deep bonds with her siblings—brothers Fred, Rex, Gary, and Randy Sibley, and sisters Barbara Anderson, Carol Thompson, and Rose Hearen—remained a source of strength and comfort throughout her life. Each one will forever carry Janis’ memory in their hearts.

She is reunited in peace with her father, Harold D. Sibley, and her mother, Betty Sibley, as well as brothers Jesse Nolan Peterson, Richard Peterson, Ray Don Sibley, Harold K. Sibley, and Rory Sibley, and sisters Diane K. Jones and June Ann Ellis, all of whom she dearly loved.

It is said that our greatest accomplishment in life is the family and love we leave behind. All who knew Janis would agree that her proudest achievement was indeed her family—a legacy of love, loyalty, and endless care that will live on in each life she touched.

As we remember Janis Faye Sibley Koch, we hold close the memory of a woman whose heart and hands shaped and sustained her family. Her example will be a source of strength and inspiration for all the generations to come. She is deeply missed, profoundly loved, and will always be remembered.

Cremation has taken place and a private graveside service will be held at a later date.