Janice Lynn Collin

With one last whisper of “I love you” from the love of her life standing by her side, our cherished wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Janice Lynn Collin, age 68, quietly walked her way into heaven on Saturday, November 26^th, 2022.

Jan was born in Green Bay Wisconsin on December 6^th, 1953, to Gerhardt and Marian (Nighorn) Dahlke.  Jan spent her childhood in the Luxemburg area where she attended Luxemburg-Casco High School and where she met Dan, the love of her life.  Dan and Jan married on August 28^th, 1971, and recently celebrated 51 wonderful years of marriage.

Dan and Jan spent many years enjoying lake and fishing life on Lake Michigan at their boat “Blackbeard’s Lady” where they spent many weekends with treasured friends on “F” dock, appropriately renamed the “fun dock” by the group.  Jan always loved a good fight with steelhead where she would always scream in excitement at their acrobatics while trying to land the “big one”.  Fishing was one of Jan’s passions and excitement that she was all too happy to pass on and share with her 2 boys and all her grandchildren.  So many memories of gatherings, celebrations, parties, and countless fishing stories (some believable and some tall tales!) have been made on “F” dock through the years, but it’s the lasting friendships that were priceless to Jan.

Jan was also very passionate about her Green Bay Packers and her Wisconsin Badger sport teams.  All decked out in her favorite team gear, there were many weekends Jan could be heard screaming at the TV while watching her favorite teams play.

Jan held different job titles through the years, but her most notable was as a loan officer at Evergreen Credit Union for many years.  Most recently, Jan retired from Valley Bakers in Greenville, where she formed some very special friendships with her co-workers.

Jan is survived by her loving husband of 51 years, Dan.  Her two sons, Scott (Christy) Collin and Darren (Jes) Collin.  Her four grandchildren, Matthew (Kaitlin) Collin, Austen Collin, Jase Collin, and Micaela Collin.  Along with 1 great-granddaughter, Gabriella Collin, Jan is also survived by her sisters, Sandi (Leroy) Nelson and Bonnie (Kevin) Laundrie, along with nieces and nephews who she had a very special bond with.  Jan is further survived by sisters and brothers-in-law, Gene (Madella) Collin, Mae VanderMeuse, Joe (Rosie) Collin, Harriet (Roland) Ducat, and many more nieces and nephews in the Collin family.  Jan also had a very special lifelong bond with her cousin Karen Rueckl.  That bond between Jan and Karen fostered the same special 3 generational friendship between their boys, Scott and Jason and their grandsons, Matthew, Austen, and Logan.  Jan was preceded in death by her parents Marian and Gerhardt Dahlke.

The Christian Funeral Service for Janice will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, December 2, 2022, at Wichmann Funeral Home, located at 537 N. Superior Street in Appleton, with Rev. Tim Glende officiating.  Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Friday morning from 8:30 AM until the time of the service.

The family of Jan would like to express our deepest of gratitude to the healthcare team that had taken care of Jan throughout the many years that she had to battle cancer.  Dr. Kathleen Hemauer, Daisy Boehm, APNP, and Sam, medical assistant through ThedaCare Oncology/Hematology.  Dr. Eric Stanelle at Fox Valley Surgical Specialists and Dr. David Schultz at FVSA.  Jan mentioned many times these last few days how she felt very comfortable and well taken care of by The ThedaCare At Home hospice nurses and CNA’s.  There have been so many more that have taken such great care of Jan during her 4-separate diagnoses throughout the years.  You all have such God given talents and compassion for the people you care of.  Our community is very blessed and fortunate to have such excellent care and skill available to us.

To the many families and friends that reached out to us during these last few weeks and days, we can not thank you enough for all the prayers sent for us.  The family felt every one of those prayers.

Jan, Mom, Grandma - you had to fight cancer for so many years.  Through it all, you showed such unbelievable strength, courage, fight, grace, determination, and inspiration to not just your family, but to so many others you encountered.  You loved your family deeply and it showed every day.  You are a huge part of who we all are today because of your love, guidance, and dedication to us all.  We are comforted knowing you are at peace in heaven with your mom and dad and that you are finally able to live cancer free.  We know that you will always be with us in spirit until we meet again.  In your last few days with us, you kept joking with us on how, when you are gone, you will send the big bucks to the hunting area on your land for the kids.  We are going to hold you to it!  We love you very much Mom.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in Jan’s name to The American Cancer Society.