Janice Zenger

Janice Eileen (Odette) Zenger, daughter of Clifford Leon and Bonnie (Chartier) Odette, was born December 25, 1939 at Clyde, Kansas. She passed away June 20, 2016 at the Belleville Health Care Center at the age of 76. Janice attended Haddam High School until her senior year when she moved with her parents to Manhattan, Kansas. She graduated from Manhattan High School in 1957. On June 9, 1957, she was united in marriage to Warren Zenger at Haddam, Kansas. To this union of 50 years, two children, Pamela & Kevin, were born. Janice spent her life as a caregiver, while also assisting with the operations of the grain elevators that Warren owned and operated as well as assisting with the farming operations. In addition, she was the daycare provider for her two grandchildren, Jana and Brandon. Her family was the most important part of her life. She loved cooking for her family (and anyone else that arrived to eat), and she was very involved in her kids and grandkids lives. She volunteered in many areas of North Central High School. Her sloppy joes were very popular, and she made many pounds of sloppy joes for the concession stand. She also traveled with the FBLA group as a sponsor coming prepared with a sewing kit and snacks. While caring for her family, she was involved in many community activities, including the Haddam Community Club and the Washington County Historical Society. One of her greatest joys was working on the community plays for many years. She was also involved with the United Methodist Church in Haddam where she played the piano and organ and taught Sunday school. She particularly enjoyed working with the younger kids at Vacation Bible School in the summer. One of her biggest loves was sports, and she attended many high school and college sporting events. She was an avid fan of the Kansas Jayhawks and she rarely missed watching a basketball game. Janice was preceded in death by her son, Kevin, in 1978; her husband Warren; and her parents. She will be forever remembered by her daughter Pam Buehler and husband Robert of Haddam, Kansas; granddaughter Jana Buehler of Manhattan, Kansas; grandson Brandon Buehler and wife Melissa, and her great-granddaughter Blair, all of Fairbury, Nebraska; sister Sue Fischer of Kansas City; brother-in-law Dr. Weldon Zenger and his wife Dr. Sharon of Manhattan, Kansas; sister-in-law Dorothy Cox of Cuba, Kansas; many nieces and nephews; other relatives and a community of friends. Funeral services will be held Friday, June 24, 2016 at 2:00pm at the United Methodist Church in Haddam, with burial at the Haddam City Cemetery. Visitation will be held Thursday from 1:00pm to 8:00pm at Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Janice’s memory, to be designated by the family at a later date.

Family will be present at the visitation from 6:00pm to 8:00pm Thursday.