Janet Harmsen
courtesy photo
Janet Harmsen
Janet Louise Harmsen, 65, of Polson, passed away on Dec. 26, 2017.
Janet was born on Aug. 25, 1952, in Pasadena, California, to Fred Ecker and Cabiria (Mastrolia) Ecker. She graduated from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in 1970, attended Pasadena City College, and worked in the family business, Ecker Brothers Construction, as an accountant for 15-plus years. Janet had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh and could laugh about herself and others with great enthusiasm. She was very much a child of the ‘60s, always ready for anything and very spontaneous. Like her mother, she was a fabulous cook and fearless in the kitchen, and showed her love and affection for her family through her cooking. She developed a taste for Indian food, and while remarking about its spiciness, she nevertheless went back for more. She was always fond of baking and would arrive prepared and equipped with overloaded bags of ingredients, ready to don her apron. Janet had a special bond with her father and they loved to fish, whether it be off a Southern Californian coast, or a river in Montana.
It was her long association with Ecker Brothers that set the tone of her life. There she met her husband Rolf, and soon after their marriage they moved to Montana with her son, Dominic and his daughter, Jennie. There they had three children, Emily - 27, Katherine - 26, and Rolf - 25. She adopted the Montana lifestyle, loved wildflowers, traveling, and enjoyed showing visitors the many natural beauties her state had to offer. No trip would be complete without her giant jug of ice water complete with straw, which she willingly shared with everyone.
She is survived by her children, Dominic Rector of Bozeman, Jennie (Harmsen) Belcourt of Missoula, Kelleen Harmsen of San Clemente, California, Emily of Polson, Katherine of Huntington Beach, California, and Rolf of Missoula. Other survivors include her sisters, Margaret (Ecker) Nanda of Los Gatos, California, and Colleen (Ecker) Somes of Omak, Washington; eight grandchildren; and her partner, Rolf Harmsen of Polson. She was preceded in death by her brother, Freddy and her parents, Cabiria and Fred Ecker.
Services have been held.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to: www.fivepminus.org.
