Janet W. Furness

Janet W. Furness, age 89, of Pine Township, died Monday, September 14, 2009 at Waters of Duneland, Chesterton, IN Services will be held Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. St. Paul Lutheran Church, with Pastor Mark Reshan officiating. Family and friends will meet at church from 9 a.m. until the service at the church. Burial will be in Furnessville Cemetery, Chesterton. She was born April 27, 1920 in Michigan City to Alvin and Gertrude (Nast) Barfknecht who preceded her in death. On June 19, 1948, at St. Paul’s Church she married Lester Furness, he preceded her in death on January 4, 1994. They shared a wonderful and loving life for 45 years. She is survived by their three sons, Clayton (Kathy), Douglas (Jaclynn), both of Michigan City, and Jeffrey (Marla) Furness of New Carlisle, daughters Susan (David) Bubac of St. Louis and Nancy (Terry) Kolasa of Chesterton, 14 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, brother-in-laws Donald (Helen) Furness of Riverside, CA, Gordon (Joy) and Loren (Wilma) Furness of Michigan City, sister-in-laws Audrey Buss and Rosemary (Jerry) Braginton of CA, and Patricia (Chuck) Smith of Michigan City. She was preceded in death by her sister-in-laws Lois Johnson, Dorothy Dunn and Betty Ambrose of whom she shared a 60 year long friendship. She was a Furnessville resident for over 60 years. She graduated in 1938 from Elston High School and also graduated from Moser Business College in 1940. She was a lifetime member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Michigan City. For almost 30 years she and her husband dedicated their lives to the welfare of the residents of Pine Township. They both served as Pine Township Trustee, Lester from 1967-1978 and Janet from 1979-1994. She was also a Pine Township Advisory Board member from 1995-1998. She was a member of the Pine Township Farm Bureau. She loved to read, travel, visit with her family and friends, who she so often worried and fretted over. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul Lutheran Church, 818 Franklin St., Michigan City, or to the donor’s choice.