Janie Lorenz's Obituary
She was born December 16, 1935 in Moscow, Ohio to Charles and Grace Gilliam. Those who knew her well called her "Janie." She came from a large family consisting of 7 sisters and 4 brothers. She grew up on a farm in Ohio where she graduated from Bethel High School and shortly after met her future husband, Ralph, on a blind date.
As the story goes....after their blind date Janie avoided answering Ralph's persistent attempts to woo her. One day she received a post card with two skunks that said "From one stinker to another" and so the love story began. Janie married Ralph on December 28, 1954, she was the "love of his life" and his best-friend.
Janie and Ralph moved their family to Longview Texas in 1974. Janie was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church. She also loved to contribute to her community by volunteering at her church, the local food bank and making deliveries for Meals on Wheels. After her kids had grown she pursued her real estate license and worked for a local agent as a Realtor.
Janie's interests outside of family and work included growing her flowers, reading and eating chocolate. She was always eager for a new adventure and shared the love of traveling with her husband covering much of Northern America with Holiday Rambler caravans. Janie was also extremely talented and enjoyed creating unique quilts for family and home decoration as well as donating to nursing homes and child support groups.
Janie is and always will be the heart of the Lorenz family. Left to cherish her memory are her husband Ralph of 70 years, her four children (Kathy, Mike [Mary], Debbie and Mark), 8 grand-children, 15 great grand-children, 4 great-great grand-children and 5 sisters.
The family would like to express sincere gratitude for the caring nurses from Chambers who showed compassion to Janie and our family during this difficult time.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to St. Mary's Catholic Church, or the Catholic Relief Society.
Funeral services for Janie will be held in the Chapel of Rader Funeral Home on Friday, September 19 at 10am with burial to follow at Lakeview Memorial Gardens. Visitation will take place one hour before the services, as well as the Rosary.
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