Ida R. Jansen, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, was called to heaven on June 20, 2012 after a brief illness. Ida was born October 3,1926, at home near Murdo, SD to Helmer and Edna(Anderson) Liffengren. She graduated from Draper High School in 1944, attended teachers training and started teaching country school at the ripe old age of 17. She often spoke fondly of her years attending and teaching in one room school houses on the South Dakota prairie.
In 1948 Ida graduated from SDSU with a degree in Art. That year she also married Art “Bud” Jansen in Brookings, SD. These two “Arts” were the loves of her life. Ida always loved learning and attended classes at Montana State College, Dakota Wesleyan University, and Sioux Falls College. Ida continued to teach school before her children were born. Her husband's career moved the family many times during their marriage, and Ida always saw the moves as great adventures. She taught sculpting, painting, and drawing throughout all of South Dakota. She was able to bring out the best in her students with her positive attitude. Ida could always see the best in everyone. Four children were born into Ida and Art’s family. Although Ida never quit being an artist, her faith and her family were her priorities. In 1982 she was honored by being awarded South Dakota Mother of the Year.
She also served as president of the SD American Mothers Association, and has encouraged many young mothers to be the best mothers they can be. Ida was also involved in the Boy Scouts of America, leading cub scouts as her own boys were growing up, and taught Cub Scout training courses for Den Mothers. She believed that Scouting could be a great influence on boys. Her back yard became a popular hang out for all the neighborhood kids when she had her Cub Scouts build a Scout club house out of old packing crates. Everyone got to paint a section and add their own artistic ideas to the creation.
In 1989, Ida was named the South Dakota Centennial Artist of the Year. She also served as SD President of American Pen Women, and was honored with the opportunity to manage the Pen Women’s headquarters mansion in Washington, DC for a month. She also served as president of the Dakota Artist Guild (DAG), taught at the Dahl Fine Arts Center, and was inducted into the SD Hall of Fame. Ida was selected to provide hand painted pine decorations called "Pine Os", for the White House Christmas Tree. She substitute taught in Mitchell, Sioux Falls and Rapid City schools. Ida was also a long time member of PEO, Local Chapter BM. Ida's faith was an integral part of her life. As a mother and grandmother she read Bible stories to her children and taught her beliefs by the way she lived. She was an active member of the First United Methodist Church where she was involved in several committees and Bible studies. She also attended Bible Study Fellowship for a number of years. Ida will be remembered by friends and family for many qualities including her warmth, constantly positive attitude, smile, her unique ability to welcome everyone as family and put them at ease, and her cute high heels. She was spontaneous and would drop everything, even a meal she had prepared, if someone called and wanted her and Art to go out to eat. Relationships were always number one. She also had a wonderful talent for making one pound of hamburger stretch to feed whoever her husband or children brought home unannounced for dinner.Everyone was always welcomed. She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by her husband of 64 years, Art Jansen, Rapid City; her children, Doug Jansen and his wife, Akane, Tokyo, Japan, Jacki Smoot and her husband, Alan, Rapid City, Don Jansen and his wife, Drew, Eugene, OR, Janene Mudge and her husband, Kevin, Rapid City; eleven grandchildren, Azusa, Andrew, Jenny, Aaron, Gabe, Tess, Megan, Rachel, Josh, Janae, Mikaela; and seven great grandchildren; her sisters, Louise Hullinger and her husband, Cliff, Chicago, IL, Opal Cartney and her husband, Jim, Watertown, her brother, Norman Liffengren and his wife, Judy, Fairbault, MN and her sister in law, Gen Liffengren, Murdo; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Luverne. Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm Sunday, June 24, 2012, with a PEO remembrance at 6:00 pm at Edstrom & Rooks Funeral Service at Serenity Springs in Rapid City. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am, Monday, June 25 at the First United Methodist Church with Pastor Doug Diehl officiating. Interment will be at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis at 3:00 pm. A memorial has been established to the First United Methodist Church and the Black Hills Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.