Jan C. Eckstrom

Jan Eckstrom, born Jan Goetz on August 4, 1959, at Saint Francis Hospital in Escanaba, Michigan, passed away on March 11, 2026, surrounded by her family after a long battle with cancer. Raised in the Buckeye neighborhood of Gladstone, she graduated from Gladstone High School in 1977. During her senior year, Jan was elected to a statewide leadership position in DECA, which allowed her to travel across the country and sparked her lifelong passion for a career in business.

After attending Bay de Noc Community College, she moved to Minneapolis at age 19 and built a successful career in the financial services industry, eventually advancing into portfolio management, a role she deeply enjoyed. In Minneapolis, she met the love of her life, Ed Eckstrom, and they married on Valentine’s Day in 1987. Together they raised two children and her step-daughter. Jan cherished her home life, excelling as a gracious hostess who warmly welcomed extended family for holiday gatherings and visitors to her home. She was also a talented quilter and proud member of the Bad Ass Quilters Society, regularly participating in quilting retreats.

She is survived by her husband Ed, son Ben (Alyssa), daughter Kelsey, step-daughter Kimberly (Britt), her father James, sister Christine (Jim), and brothers Michael and Gregg (Sarah). Jan was preceded in death by her mother Fran, her grandparents, and her step-grandson Sean. Her family will honor her wish for a celebration of life, gathering to remember her accomplishments, her warmth, and the love she shared with all who knew her.