Janet E. Wandke

Janet died peacefully Friday afternoon, Sept. 12, 2014, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont. Lakeview Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Fairmont is in charge of the arrangements.

Janet was born March 23, 1919, in Oshkosh, Wis., the fourth child of Hertha Habighorst and Oscar Schramm. She moved with her family to Fond du Lac, Wis., as a young girl, living there until she completed the eighth grade. Janet then moved with her parents to Evanston, Ill., where she attended Evanston High School, graduating in 1938. She worked for a small group of orthopedists in Evanston after high school and attended Northwestern University, where she met her future husband, Otto E. Wandke, who was a medical student. They married on March 20, 1943, the day after her husband’s graduation and stayed in Evanston, while he completed his internship in Chicago. During the following two years when Dr. Joe was in the U.S. Army Medical Corp, Janet spent most of that time living with family in Evanston, but was happy to be able to join him in Oakland, Calif., for about six months while he worked at an Army hospital there. When Dr. Joe returned in September of 1946 from more than a year of overseas duty in the South Pacific and Japan, he was discharged from the Army and then moved back to the Chicago area to be with Janet where he could continue his medical education in orthopedics. In late summer of 1948, Janet and Dr. Joe moved to Fairmont with their young son, so that he could join his friend from the Army, E.A. Thayer, MD, in a medical partnership. Janet made Fairmont her home for the following 66 years, where she and her husband raised their three children, Joe, Julie and Joan. Janet’s time and energy primarily went into caring for their three children and working in and nurturing their home. In addition, Janet enjoyed singing in her church choir, volunteering in the church library, and participating in a host of other church activities at Grace Lutheran. For many years, Janet was also active in the Fairmont Community Hospital Auxiliary and volunteered in the hospital gift shop. Janet’s membership in the PEO Sisterhood, Chapter Y held a special place in her heart and she assumed various offices in this organization, including president. She also enjoyed participating in a history club in town for many years. Janet was a wonderful mother and grandmother whose kind, nurturing, gentle, fun-loving nature was treasured by all. She loved holidays and established many wonderful traditions that continue on in the family. Janet’s family and friends will never forget all of the wonderful pies and desserts that she loved to make and the many sweaters, hats and mittens that she knit over the years. She loved music, ballroom dancing and singing. Shelties had a special spot in her heart and would always bring a smile to her face. Janet had many friends of all ages who will miss her smile, twinkling eyes, kind heart and positive attitude. We are grateful for her life, love and wisdom. The family wishes to thank Mandy Berhow who cared for Janet over the past 11 years and became a close friend. Mandy’s loving care of Janet will never be forgotten by her family. They also wish to thank the staff at the Lutz Wing-Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont where Janet was a resident the past two years. She met many individuals there who not only provided her excellent care, but also became her friends.

Janet was preceded in death by her husband in 2003 and her three older siblings, Marion, Carl and Harriet.

She will be missed dearly and is survived by her children, Joe (Marilee) Wandke of Pebble Beach, Calif., Julie (Tim) Kelly of Plymouth, Minn., and Joan (Dan) Nelson of Deephaven, Minn.; grandchildren, John Wandke (Arley) of Carmel Valley, Calif., Laura Schierberl (Mike) of San Francisco, Calif., Sarah Welch (Tim) of Minneapolis, Minn., Peter Kelly of New York City, N.Y., and Annamarie Nelson of Tacoma, Wash. Janet is also survived by two nieces, Caryl Scott and Helen (Dave) Tetzlaff; and two nephews, Bill (Jody) Huelsman and Ted (Carol) Schramm.

Memorials are preferred to Red Rock Center for the Arts and Grace Lutheran Church, both in Fairmont.

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