Dennis Desmond Janz, 65, of Jefferson, died peacefully on Friday, February 6, 2009, at his home in Jefferson surrounded by his family after a long fight with GIST cancer. He was born on Oct. 21, 1943 on the family farm in the Town of Seneca, Green Lake Co., Wis., the son of the late Ervin and Lucille (Verch) Janz.
He graduated from Berlin High School in 1961. Dennis served in the U.S. Air Force from 1964-1968. Dennis graduated from UW-River Falls with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering in 1972. Dennis and Diane were married on June 23, 1973 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
They started their family while living in Fort Atkinson where Dennis worked as a technical service representative for Butler Manufacturing. In September 1987 he started as one of the first thirteen employees hired at Perry Printing, now Multicolor in Watertown, retiring in September 2008.
He was a member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Fort Atkinson. He served on the 4-H Leaders Board, operated the Janz Strawberry Farm in the summer, and sold pumpkins in the fall. He is survived by his wife, Diane of Jefferson; one daughter, Melissa (Joseph) Barbey of River Falls; three sons, Aaron (Leah) Janz of North St. Paul, Minn., Matthew (Kelly) Janz of Jefferson, and Michael, at home; and one granddaughter, Johanna Barbey; one sister Carol (William) Romundson of Stevens Point.
Those wishing to express sympathy through memorials may direct them to The Life Raft Group, Rainbow Hospice, or Bethany Lutheran Church. You can also view Dennis’s Caringbridge page at www.caringbridge.org/visit/dennisjanz
