Mrs. Ryan was born Janys Collister on December 5, 1919, in Denver, Colorado. She worked 18 years as a Spanish teacher with U.S.D. #305. Following her retirement, she spent the next 15 years teaching English as a second language at the Little House Adult Learning Center. She was a graduate of Marymount College, Salina and received her Masters Degree in Education from Kansas State University, Manhattan. For many years she was an active Republican precinct committee woman and is a former secretary of the Kansas State Republican Party. She is a former member of the Salina Altrusa Club, Salina League of Woman Voters, Meals on Wheels volunteer and member of St. John's Lutheran Church.

She married Kenneth R. Ryan on November 28, 1940 , in Denver Colorado.

She was preceded in death by her sister, Martha J. Buerkle; and her parents, Francis Collister and the former Mayme Lloyd.

Survivors include her husband, Kenneth Richard Ryan of Salina; four sons, Steve and wife Lynne, Marc and wife Marty and Karl and wife Jody, all of Salina, and Eric of Denver, Colorado; twelve grandchildren, Scott Ryan, Carrie Wilson, Sonja, Luke, Sean and Ann Ryan, Jordan, Taylor, Evan and Alex Ryan, and Morgan and Madison Miles; and four great-grandchildren, Rylee and Amy Wilson and Collister and Will Ryan.

The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. John's Lutheran Church, Salina, the Rev. Joel Remmers officiating. Entombment will be in the Hillcrest Mausoleum at Gypsum Hill Cemetery, Salina.

The family suggests memorials to the St. John's Lutheran Church Building Fund.