Janice Anne Pollman

Janice Anne Pollman of Olathe, Kansas, passed from this life peacefully on her 82nd birthday, March 15, 2026.

Janice, or Jan as she was known to family, was born on March 15, 1944, in Muscogee, Oklahoma. Her proud parents, Abbie (Morris) Barthel and Frank Barthel, raised her in the Oklahoma area. A lifelong learner, she did well in school and received her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Christian University. She eventually completed a master’s plus sixty credit hours. She found learning to be fun and might have remained a student for her whole life had it been practical.

Jan moved from Oklahoma to Kansas for better teaching opportunities in the late 1960’s. Here, she met Bill (William) Pollman, and they married on July 19, 1975. After spending the first decade of their marriage traveling extensively, hiking, and camping all over the country, they welcomed their first daughter, Nikki, into their home on September 23, 1986. Jan loved being a mom, so when Nikki started asking for a sibling, they happily welcomed their second daughter, Brittany, into their home on June 15, 1990. Some of their happiest moments as a family were on their yearly trips to Colorado Springs, where Jan shared her love of hiking with her kids. Her children were her world, and they were so blessed to know such love.

Jan dedicated her life to kids, both her own and as a public school teacher. For forty years, she was a beloved Social Studies teacher at Milburn Junior High and Shawnee Mission North High School. Upon retirement, she dedicated the next fifteen years to serving as a trusted substitute teacher for SMSD and the Olathe Schools, primarily at Santa Fe Trail Middle School. When the pandemic hit, she finally stopped teaching, happily dedicating her spare time to her grandchildren. They were the light of her life.

Jan had an adventurous spirit and loved to have fun. She loved to travel, hike, camp in her younger days, and even got her pilot’s license and flew small, single-engine planes for fun. As a teacher, she was always known for her ability to connect with her students and make learning an enjoyable experience. She started her classes with silly jokes because she loved to laugh. She loved music of all kinds, especially Elvis and the Chuck Wagon Gang. Her two dogs, Mindy and Bella, brought her so much joy and snuggles. She was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ.

Jan faced many health struggles in her adult life, but persevered through all of them with grit and grace, right up to the end. She was an inspiration to so many and will be dearly missed.

Jan is survived by her husband of fifty years, Bill; her daughter Nikki (Jordan) Wiarda of Lenexa, KS and her grandchildren, Abbie and Asher; her sister, Dorothy (Fred) Brown of Bixby, Oklahoma; nephew David Brown, niece Debbie (Andy) Stidham; several great nieces and nephews and cousins; as well as her Uncle Frank (Frances) Morris of Keller, Texas.

She is preceded in death by her parents and her daughter, Brittany Pollman.

Visitation will be 9-10:00am Friday, March 27 at 151st Church of Christ, 13875 W. 151 Street, Olathe, KS 66062 followed by a funeral service at 10:00.  A graveside service will be 2:30pm on Friday at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Humboldt, Kansas.  

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests you send a donation in Jan’s honor to Christian Family Services, an organization that supports families with adoption, a cause near and dear to Jan’s heart.