Audrey Laurine (Althouse) Janak, age 93, died March 8, 2024, peacefully with family and care givers by her side.
She was born Nov. 7, 1930, in Seward, to Laurine H. E. Frazer Althouse and Loren A. Althouse. Audrey was raised in Butler County and graduated from Surprise High School at age 16, with her life-long friend and brother, Jerry A. Althouse.
Audrey married William “Bill” Anton Janak on Aug. 23, 1949, in Lincoln. Audrey and Bill lived, farmed and raised their girls south of Surprise until Bill’s retirement in 1974 when they moved into Surprise. In 1958, Audrey had begun working with her father at the Ulysses Lumber Company, a lumber yard and hardware store, which Loren had purchased some years prior. She continued to work jointly with him and later, upon his death, continued to operate it, primarily by herself, until her retirement in 1984.
In 1993, Audrey and Bill moved to Seward. Bill’s health had begun to decline and after a long illness, he died at home in 2002. Around this time, Audrey began volunteering at the Et-Cetera Thrift Store, doing whatever needed to be done for 20 years. She cherished the family of friends she made there. Hers was also a nearly daily presence – well into her late 80's – at Plum Creek Park, where she rode the bike trail up to three times each day, often achieving her biking goal of 100 miles/week.
Audrey is preceded in death by her parents, brother, infant sister, son-in-law, Lee D. Richardson and all of her brothers and sisters-in-law.
Audrey is survived by her daughter, Sandra R. Johnson, son-in-law, Larry, granddaughter Leah Johnson and her husband Mitch, granddaughter Hana Maciolek, her husband Mark, their son, Pollux and daughter Kinzie and granddaughter Marta Maciolek, her husband Eric and their daughter Maple, all of Wisconsin.
Audrey is also survived by her daughter, Brenda J. Richardson, grandson John Colin Richardson, both of Kentucky and granddaughter Lucy Keilbach, her husband Mark and their baby, Oliver Lee of Orange, California.
Audrey is also survived by many nieces and nephews. Their attentiveness, moving skills, food and phone calls added immeasurably to Audrey’s health and happiness.
Audrey is also survived by her Ridgewood and Hospice families, many of whom she knew from years before when she attended to the care of her aunt, Joyce Althouse, The Althouse and Janak families are deeply grateful for the care, humor, affection and respect which surrounded Audrey in her final months.
A memorial service for Audrey will be Saturday, April 20, at 10:30 a.m. in the chapel at Ridgewood Rehab & Care Center, 624 Pinewood Ave. in Seward. If you have a favorite Audrey memory or story, please consider sharing it.
Audrey donated her body to the University of Nebraska with burial at a later date at the Utica Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to Ridgewood Rehab & Care Center, Seward, NE 68434 or to Et-Cetera Gift & Thrift Shop, 504 Seward St, Seward, NE 68434. Arrangements by Volzke Funeral Home.
