Janet Ellen Doorn

All who knew Janet Doorn would agree that she was truly beautiful on the inside and out. She was a lifelong resident of the community she loved, and she made a significant impact in the lives of so many over the years. Although Janet treasured her role as a mother, she would have argued that nothing was better than becoming a grandmother later in life. She worked hard, but she also took the time to enjoy life along the way. There was nothing like one of Janet's pranks, and her zest for life was contagious to all who were near. Life will never be the same without her here, but she leaves behind a timeless legacy that her loved ones will proudly carry on in her footsteps. With the end of WWII in 1945, America was making the shift to being a nation at peace once again. Rationing on common goods was no longer needed, and manufacturing wasn't focused on supporting the war effort. It was during this transitional time that Edward and Anne (Hill) Nelson were filled with great anticipation as they were awaiting the birth of their new baby as the heat of the summer held the city of Chicago, Illinois, firmly in its grip in 1947. Their wait was finally over on July 2nd when the baby girl they named Janet Ellen drew her first breath. She was one of six as she was joined in her family by her siblings, Rick, Tom, Barbara, Carol, and James. When she was just one year old, Janet's parents moved from Chicago to Indian Lake in 1948. In many ways Janet was a young girl of her generation. She started her schooling in a one-room schoolhouse. It was discovered that Janet was both dyslexia and left-handed. Since the school wanted her to be right-handed, they tied her left arm behind her back to force her to use her right hand instead. Janet later attended Vicksburg Elementary where she had fun sliding down the slide on the exterior of the building. During those days the students were also required to carry the desks and books to the new elementary building as she was part of the last class in the old building. Janet's high school years found her at Vicksburg High School where she sang in the choir. She went on to graduate in 1965. Life truly began for Janet when she met the man who would change the course of her life forever. His name was Michael Wood and together they welcomed twin girls Michael and Amy. Unfortunately, Michael passed when the girls were still young. Janet later met Don Doorn and he accepted Michael and Amy as his own and together they welcomed Deanne. Although they were divorced after 18 years, she was grateful for the life they had together. While busy raising her children, Janet moved away from the lake, but as soon as she was able she moved back to the place she loved. She genuinely cherished living on the lake, and their lake home was a family gathering place for years. With such a beautiful place, they never really took many vacations away from home. Janet was very handy around the house. In fact, she even put on an addition as well as taking care of the various repairs that came up. Janet could also tie a knot better than anyone, and this was also a skill that she passed on to her children. For the rest of her life, there was never anything that was more important to Janet than her family. She loved her children, but it has been said that she loved her grandchildren even more. Janet was always there for her family, and she was the rock that kept everyone stable no matter the circumstances that came. As her family can attest, Janet was known for pulling pranks including the exploding cigarettes she left for the smokers in her family when they left their packs lying around! She was also very open about what she thought as she never shied away from making her thoughts known. One such time, she asked Michael's boyfriend to take a tank of gas down to the boat for her. Since he declined, Janet dropped him off at the bus stop the next morning with a ticket back to Minnesota! She loved being part of the lives of her children and grandchildren, and she always knew where they were at all times. Throughout her life Janet was always doing something. She worked as the head cashier at Meijer's in the seventies, and during the eighties she worked at Connie's Country Store a couple of nights a week. The money she earned there paid for the family's pontoon boat. In the mid-nineties, Janet worked as a pharmacy tech. Much of her time was spent on the lake, and fishing was one of her favorite pastimes. Janet was a music lover, especially American Pie, and although she wasn't one for horror movies she did like shows like The First 48 and Unsolved Mysteries. In her free time, she loved to sew. With unending love for her family and friends, Janet Doorn was a blessing in the lives of all who were near. Generous to a fault, she was willing to help others in ways both great and small. One never needed to wonder what Janet was thinking as she was very open and honest about what was on her mind. Some of her favorite memories were made fishing and spending time on the lake, but what made these experiences so extraordinary was sharing them with the ones she loved. Dearly treasured, Janet will be forever missed. Children - Daughters: Michael (Chris) Schoultz; Deanne (Jeremy Crabtree) Doorn; preceded in death by Daughter Amy Bartolameolli Grandchildren - Andrew, Olivia, Jaxson Siblings - Carol (Ken) Stuart, James Nelson: Sister in law - Linda Hinds: preceded in death by Rick, Tom, & Barbara