Janet Branscum

September 2022

If you know Janet Branscum, you probably know she likes to help out around the parish in any way she can. You may know that she’s active in Women’s Guild and small groups. You may also know how much she loves the Rosary. But did you know that her deep faith has been tested and strengthened by adversity?

Janet grew up in Urbandale with three brothers. Her family attended St. Pius, where Janet married her husband Brian in 1982. The couple moved to Oklahoma and son Richard was born in 1990. Then came a period of extreme crisis. Richard was barely a year old when Brian lost his eyesight due to complications from diabetes.

While her husband was adjusting to the challenges of blindness, Janet worked full-time and cared for the baby. With family far away, there was no one to help. She felt alone and overwhelmed, and her first reaction was anger. “I was angry at everybody,” she says. “It was like, God, why are you doing this to me?”

Still, she believed God was trying to tell her something. She prayed a lot. She would drop Richard off at daycare, drive to work, and pray the Rosary in her car before entering. She heard God’s voice saying, “You can do this. I gave you the tools to do this.” She came to understand that God wanted her to be stronger in her faith.

She and Brian moved back to Iowa, where they had better access to resources for the blind. They joined Sacred Heart parish and Richard grew up in the Church. In the years that followed, Janet often drew upon the strength God had cultivated inside her. She lost Brian in 2005 when Richard was only 15. She lost both parents, a brother, and several family members and close friends as well. Throughout these difficult losses, Janet’s faith made her the “strong one” in a crisis.

Prayer remains her cornerstone, and her recommendation for anyone facing adversity is, “Pray, do your Rosary, and talk to people.” She heeds her own advice, setting aside time for prayer, keeping rosary beads all around the house, and staying connected with others. She still prays the Rosary in her car, too, and if a set of beads isn’t handy, she makes the best of it. As Janet explains, “God gave us ten fingers for a reason!”