Janice “Jan” Kuske

Janice “Jan” Kuske, age 91, formerly of Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Jefferson, passed away peacefully July 28 in Wauwatosa after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s. She is reunited with George, her husband of 53 years, who preceded her in death. Also waiting to greet her were her dear mother and father, Lamina and Harvey, her only sibling, Glenn and his wife, Margie, and many other friends and family.

She is survived by her two “boys” and their wives, Garth and Joan of Menomonee Falls and Lane and Anne of Milwaukee, and her cherished granddogs, Gracie and Lola.

Jan is further survived by in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Janice grew up in the Fox Valley, (Woodsville, Hilbert, Chilton, Wrightstown, and Green Bay), living in both small towns and the big city, and several times as a farm girl, where rural life exposed her to a childhood without indoor plumbing and the forced use of the dreaded outhouse.

Jan and George met and became high school sweethearts, she from Green Bay’s East High, where she was in band, and he from West High, where he played football and performed in drama. Jan was smitten after seeing George perform on stage in plays and at his frequent gigs singing with big bands.

Before the Packers had a Lambeau Field, the team played their games at East High and used the girls’ locker room there. Janice often described the excitement of sharing that space with a pro team: “The Mondays after the games were like scavenger hunts, with girls searching for anything left behind. They occasionally found things like towels, socks, even jock straps!”

Jan and George worked together in their grocery business, which would take them around Wisconsin. Later, George sold his store and began work at Department of Defense Army base commissaries, taking them to Phoenix and Sierra Vista, Arizona, and Alameda, California. They loved to travel, including Red Owl trips to Hawaii and Spain. But perhaps the fondest memories were of the annual summer journeys to be with extended family at the Crystal Lake cottage up Nort’ by Pickerel, which always ended with a weekend stop in The Dells on the way home.

They shared a passionate love of singing and music. Both sang in Lutheran Church and show choirs. Jan, in particular, loved her time singing with the Grace Notes in Jefferson, where one highlight was a unique Acapella version of the National Anthem performed in front of a sold-out crowd at Milwaukee Brewers’ County Stadium. An avid writer and reader, Jan wrote an autobiography intended exclusively for “the boys,” so they would know Mom (and Dad’s) humble beginnings.

Jan and George also shared a penchant for humor. Laughter was a frequent occurrence at home and often in public (much to her dismay), as the three guys would gang up on and playfully embarrass her. At those times, Jan would express a wish for a daughter who could provide a better balance of support on her side.

Her enriched life can be summed up by the closing lines in her memoir, A Farm-Girl Remembers:
“Would I REALLY want to live it over? I can honestly say, yes; though I’d probably want to eliminate the outhouse and bypass a crisis or two along the way. Ultimately it has all boiled down to family, and that’s where I’ve been so fortunate…knowing love and loyalty are shared; the intense pride in husband and sons. I enjoy being your mom and love you guys.”

Special thanks to The Lutheran Home, especially to the caring staff on 3NW. Per Jan’s wishes, her body will be cremated at Informed Choice of Milwaukee, followed by a future private gathering graveside, as her ashes are buried next to George in Appleton.