Janet Lee Garen

Janet Lee Garen, age 85, of Rudyard, Michigan, died at Mackinac Straits Health System in St. Ignace, Michigan, on May 1, 2022. She was born on March 23, 1937, in Palmyra, Michigan, to Edward Milton and Nellie (Runyon) Harris.

Janet grew up in Palmyra and Ida, Michigan, where she graduated from Ida High School and began working at General Telephone. She met David, who also worked for the telephone company, and they married on March 3, 1956. They started a family, while living in Lower Michigan, until 1964, when they moved to the EUP. After a couple years, they made Rudyard their forever home.

Janet was baptized in 1976 as one of Jehovah’s Witness and had attended the St. Ignace congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Janet enjoyed embroidery, canning, picking berries, and making homemade jam. She also liked sewing, word searches, and playing cards and board games, especially Rummy and Aggravation. Most of all, she loved her family and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Janet is survived by her husband, David Garen; daughters, Iris (Rodney) Jarvi of Pickford, Michigan, Gale LaJoice of Pembine, Wisconsin, and Darlene(William) Garen-Bradford of Oak Harbor, Washington; son, Chester Garen of Rudyard; grandchildren, Daniel (Tina) Belleville, Preston (Brooke) Belleville, Kelsey (Keith) Hagerty, Chad (Kathy) LaJoice, Curt (Jill) LaJoice, Annie (Dustin) LaChapelle, Jeremy (Liza) LaJoice, Lauren Garen, Tonya Martens, Emily Martens, Jeannette Martens, Cole Garen, and Alicia Garen; great-grandchildren, Kylie, Jordan, Jerzie, Sebastian, Hunter, Zane, Abby, Ian, Sophia, Alexandra, Justin, Jaymission, Ivy, and Israel; and sister, Brenda Wohlfeil of Lune Pier, Michigan.

Janet is preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Nellie Harris; daughter, Ardis Garen; son, George Garen; sons-in-law, Jerry Belleville and Jerome LaJoice; brother, Charles Harris; sisters, Dorothy Blakeman, Norma Wertenberger, and Carol Bomia.

Memorial Services will be held on May 9, 2022, at Galer Funeral Home in Pickford, Michigan, with the Memorial Gathering at 10:00 AM and the Memorial Service beginning at 11:00 AM. Burial to follow at Oaklawn Chapel Gardens in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Galer Funeral Homes & Cremation, of Pickford, Michigan, is service the family. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.galerfuneralhomes.com.