Jan Elliott Ashby

Jan E. Ashby, age 79 of Prairie du Chien passed away Friday, March 17, 2023 at Garden View Place in Monona, IA surrounded by his family. He was born in Alliance, NE on January 13, 1944, the son of Dennis and Ada (Lemburg) Ashby. He grew up in Alliance and graduated from Alliance High School with the class of 1961. He then attended Chadron State College for 2 years before enrolling at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for 3 years to obtain Bachelor of Science in pharmacy.  In the summer of 1966 he moved to the Cedar Rapids area and was employed by May’s Drug Store in Marion, IA. While working there, he met his future wife, Nancy Frajman. Jan was drafted into the army in January of 1968, and was sent to serve at MacDonald Army Hospital pharmacy at Ft. Eustis in Newport News VA. Jan and Nancy were married on September 28, 1968, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Marion, IA, and to this union, two daughters were born. In early 1969, Jan was sent to Korea to Camp Nabors, a MASH unit on the DMZ. Upon his discharge, he returned to Cedar Rapids and  resumed work at May’s Drug Store before moving  his family to Prairie du Chien in 1975. Jan  worked at Himrich’s Rexall Drug Store in Prairie du Chien for 3 years, then purchased the store. He owned and operated Himrich’s Rexall Drug Store for 27 years until the store was purchased by Hartig Drug  in 2006. He worked at Hartig Drug Store until retirement in 2010. Jan was an avid outdoorsman who loved to fish, golf, and hunt pheasant, deer, and duck. He is survived by his wife of 54 years Nancy; their two daughters, Deanna Ashby and Jill  Morken;; his grandchildren Isabelle, Collin, and Madeline Morken; his brother Ronald (Mary) Ashby of Carrollton, TX and his niece and nephew  John Ashby and Lisa (Don) Norris,  and sister-in-law  Mary Jane Erbe of Marion, IA, niece and nephew Vanessa(Wayne)Brehm and Greg Christina) Erbe.. He was preceded in death by his parents. Memorials will go to local programs for Alzheimers and other dementias in this area.

A Memorial Service will be Friday, March 31, 2023, at 1:30 P.M. at the Garrity Funeral Home Chapel, Msgr. Charles Stoetzel officiating with inurnment in the Calvary Cemetery, both in Prairie du Chien. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday from 11:00 A.M. until the time of service. Military honors will be accorded graveside by the Prairie du Chien Honor Guard. www.garrityfuneralhome.com

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