Janis J. Schaefer, age 63, of Fennimore, WI passed away on Monday morning, November 4, 2019, at Grant Regional Health Center in Lancaster. She was born in Boscobel on April 13, 1956, the daughter of Russell and Lois Jean (Brandt) Preston.
Janis graduated from Fennimore High School in 1974. She attended Southwest Wisconsin Technical College and received her degree in secretarial services. Janis was united in marriage to Harold Schaefer on June 28, 1975, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fennimore.
Prior to becoming a mother, Janis worked as a secretary at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. She was a devoted mother and loved being able to stay home and raise her three children. Janis was later employed at World of Variety and Southwest Wisconsin Library System in Fennimore and Schreiner Memorial Library in Lancaster. She and Harold took many family vacations including Washington, D.C., Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills, and national parks throughout the western United States.
She loved being a grandma and adored her six grandchildren. Janis was a member of the Jr. Women’s Club. She liked getting together with friends, making phone calls, and writing letters. Janis was an avid reader, enjoyed going for car rides, and dining out with her husband.
Janis is survived by her beloved husband, Harold, of Fennimore; three children, Julie (Todd) Wuerger of Sauk City, and twin boys, Jeff (Liz) Schaefer of Pewaukee, and Jeremy (Lana) Schaefer of Farr West, UT; six grandchildren, Camden and Emory Schaefer; Donovan, Stella, and Wilson Wuerger; and Owen Schaefer; two brothers, Larry (Evelyn) Preston of Janesville and Robert (JoAnn) Preston of Troy, MI.
Janis was preceded in death by her parents, Russell and Lois Jean Preston; and her brother, David Preston.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 11, 2019, at Fennimore United Methodist Church, with burial to follow at St. Mary's Catholic Church Cemetery rural Fennimore. Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 10, 2019, at Larson Family Funeral Home in Fennimore and from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the church on Monday morning.