Janet R. Wren passed away peacefully with her family beside her while in hospice care at the Burlington Aurora hospital on Feb. 11, 2023. She was born Oct. 27, 1939 to Arnold and Frances (nee Beecher) Lonstrup.
Janet was the beloved wife of Robert “Bob” Wren and the loving mom of Linda (Dave) Turner, Karen (Rick) Shumann, Ellen (Rado) Simic, and Christine (Paul) Schultz. She was the caring grandmother of Jeremy, Jennifer, Justin, Zac, Jay and Mike; Jessica, Jacob and Jordan; Alisha, Emma, Neil and Laura; and Nicole, Hannah, Jessica and Kyle. She is also survived by many great-grandchildren; loving nephews, David, Mark and Andy Wurster and their families; and many other relatives and cherished friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Jean (Ken) Lonstrup and David Lonstrup.
Janet lived in many states and worked in several professions including secretarial, as a medical transcriptionist, and most fondly, assisting her sister Jean at her bridal store in Racine. She was a highly skilled seamstress, sewing for her family and creating beautiful bridal gowns and dresses. As a teenager, she drove new vehicles from the AMC plant in Kenosha to her father’s car dealership in Union Grove.
Janet was a member of the Union Grove Congregational United Church of Christ, where she was baptized, confirmed, and raised her children, teaching Sunday School classes and participating in many women’s groups. Janet, Bob and daughters belonged to churches in Wisconsin, Kansas, Tennessee, and Florida. She had a strong faith and made prayer and worship a priority. She participated in and led Bible studies and found joy in volunteerism, giving to those within her congregations and the surrounding communities all while being a supportive wife, nurturing mother, and working full time outside the home. Within each community, lifelong friendships were made.
Janet loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and enjoyed baking and cooking for her family, sending cards and gifts, but most of all she liked creating laughter and fun at family gatherings. She and Bob enjoyed traveling to visit family in Oklahoma and friends in many states, making it a priority to visit wineries along their journeys.
Janet loved flower and vegetable gardening. Family and friends could always find her outdoors with her hands in the soil. Because of the way Janet lived her life, she instilled in those she loved that unexpected joy can always be found in the most difficult circumstances.
A celebration of Janet’s life will be held on March 5, 2023 at Integrity Celebration Center, 2789 Browns Lake Dr, Burlington. A memorial gathering will be from 1 p.m. until time of service at 2:50 p.m. If you were fortunate enough to know Janet, please join us as we celebrate her amazing life and memory.
The family thanks the doctors, nurses and aides at Aurora St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee and Aurora Hospital in Burlington as well as the loving caregivers at the Aurora At Home hospice organization.
Memorial donations in Janet’s honor can be made to Music Matters, Inc. of Burlington at www.burlingtonwimusicmatters.org. Music Matters, Inc. is a not-for-profit grant-driven organization that supports and promotes youth music education programs in the Burlington community.
Services have been entrusted to Integrity Funeral Services. Well-wishers may visit www.integrityfunerals.net.
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