ST. JOHN — Jeanette “Jan” Shields, 98, passed away Sunday, March 3 at Village Shalom Long-term Care, Overland Park, Kan. She was born April 6, 1925 in Hoisington, Kan. to Joseph and Burga (Kinzel) Steiner. 

Jan attended Sacred Heart Junior College in Wichita (now Kansas Newman University) and later received a bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology at the University of Kansas where she also met her future husband Emerson Shields. They were married April 19, 1952. When Jan went to work at the St. John Hospital in 1952, she was the first registered Medical Technologist ever to be employed at the hospital. She worked at the hospital until it closed in 1992. She was also very active in the St. John the Apostle Church Altar Society, the Kansas Jaycee Jaynes, the St. John Hesperian Club, the Odd Fellow Rebekahs, Progressive Mothers Club, Junior Golden Circle and several other local organizations. She also served on the Industrial Development Committee of the St. John Tomorrow Committee. Jan was a key driving force behind the establishment of the Sandyland Shepherd Center in St. John and continued to volunteer her services there in the years that followed. When her sons were growing up she was a Cub Scout Den Mother and taught religious education to the high school students. Jan also obtained a pilot’s license in 1978 and often flew the family’s Beech Bonanza with Emerson as her co-pilot. She logged over 300 hours as a private pilot. 

Jan was selected St. John Lady of the Year in 1991. Jan was a big Kansas Jayhawk fan and would often show off her Jayhawk blanket and shout out the “Rock Chalk Jayhawk” chant to the pleasure of the staff and residents at the Village Shalom Senior Center in Overland Park. 

Jan is survived by three children, Byron Shields and wife Amy of Olathe, Russell Shields and wife Nancy, and Scott Shields of Leawood; and one sister Joan Steiner-Adler of Port St. Lucie, Fla. There are seven grandchildren, Blake, Patrick, Clarissa, Sara, Brad, Julia and Colette. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Emerson; two brothers, Hubert Steiner and Jim Steiner, and one sister, Judy Wondra. 

Visitation will be Friday, March 22, 2024 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Minnis Funeral Chapel 526 E 4th Street, St. John, KS. Rosary will follow at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be Saturday, March 23, at 10 a.m. at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, St. John. Interment will follow at the Fairview Park Cemetery, St. John. Please make donations to  St. John The Apostle Church in care of Minnis Chapel, P.O. Box 34, St. John, KS  67576.

Funeral arrangements provided by

Minnis Chapel 

P.O. Box 34 

St. John, KS  67576

Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, March 12, 2024