Janice Edna Quade

A kind and generous woman, Janice Quade touched the lives of many throughout her life. She was a people person who enjoyed visiting with others, especially those in need of a tender touch and a warm smile. It was clear that Janice was married to her best friend with whom she established the family she delighted in caring for. The Lutheran faith was a cornerstone in Janice’s life, serving not only as the joy in her heart, but also the strength in her spirit. Although life was not without trying times for Janice, she carried herself with grace, courage, and humility.

The decade of the 1910s was one of great change in America as we struggled to find our way. There were issues such as unsafe working conditions and the lack of child labor laws that were front and center. There was great momentum that propelled our nation forward, too, with things such as the mass production of automobiles that created nationwide prosperity, carrying us well into the next decade. It was as this eventful decade was drawing to a close that the family of Henry and Edna (Peterson) Henricksen had much to celebrate. Their family of three became a family of four with the birth of their daughter, Janice Edna, on January 31, 1919, and they couldn’t have been happier. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Janice was the younger of two girls in her family including her sister, Audrey, who was four years her senior. She was raised in Milwaukee and attended local schools including Walker Junior High School where she played the clarinet in the school band. It was in band that Janice became acquainted with a percussionist who would forever change the course of her life. His name was Walter Quade and a relationship was sparked that would later be rekindled.

As the prosperity of the twenties gave way to the hardship of the thirties due to the Great Depression, jobs were scarce with an unemployment rate over 20 percent. People did whatever they could to survive and because her father needed to find work, Janice moved with her family to Red Wing, Minnesota, where she attended high school.

It was shortly after graduating from high school that Walter traveled to Red Wing to ask for his sweetheart’s hand in marriage. Janice moved back to Milwaukee and became Mrs. Walter Quade on February 15, 1941, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. The church, which at the time was located at 9th and Scott Streets on Milwaukee’s south side, played a vital role in Janice’s daily life as long as she lived. Janice worked as a purchasing agent at Perfex Corporation and Walter worked there as a purchasing agent as well.

Not long after they became husband and wife, Janice and Walter were overjoyed to welcome their first of three sons into their hearts and home with the birth of Michael in October of 1941. Fifteen months later, Patrick came along in March of 1943 but not long after he was born, Walter entered the Army. Walter served in the Philippines during WWII while Janice kept things running at home. The family was reunited when Walter returned home in 1945. With the birth of their son Thomas in September of 1947, the Quade family was complete.

Since Walter’s work often took him on the road, Janice was primarily responsible for the everyday life of the Quade family. In dealing with her sons, she seemed to effortlessly balance giving her sons both the strict discipline and the love they needed to thrive. Janice and Walter raised their sons to embrace the Lutheran faith that was such an important part of their lives.

In addition to caring for her family, there were many other things that kept Janice busy. After her sons were older, she began to work as a comptometer operator for the A&P Corporation, and she later worked for a few other businesses. Janice was a great cook who enjoyed gardening and growing flowers, and her favorite color was blue. She liked baseball and it was a shared family interest since her parents had season tickets for the Milwaukee Braves games. They also thought nothing of partying with the players because Lou Burdette lived on their block. Janice later became a fan of the Milwaukee Brewers, and she and Walter had season tickets for their games. Together the couple enjoyed a good life. They loved entertaining and dancing together as often as they could.

Much of what kept Janice busy revolved around her great love for others. She enjoyed helping people and became a volunteer at West Allis Memorial Hospital – a position she treasured for over 40 years. Janice was active at her church both in the women’s group and visiting shut-ins, serving them communion well into the sunset of her life. When she was 87, her volunteer efforts came to an end as she gave up driving because of an accident she was involved in. Janice’s sociable spirit reached to her extended family as well as she and her older cousins formed a “cousins club.” She enjoyed the opportunity to cook, entertain, and play cards among other activities, and dressing up was something she did whenever she had chance. Janice found great fulfillment in the companionship of her canine friends including her boxer, Jackson, her poodle, Saucy, and her schnauzer, Pepper.

As the years went by, time began to take a toll on Janice’s health. She showed signs of dementia and this past March, she suffered a stroke from which she was unable to recover. Janice drew her last breath in the comfort of the same hospital she volunteered at for so much of her life.

The life of Janice Quade was a journey in faith, family, and compassion. She thought nothing of setting her own needs aside to reach out to those in need, an outpouring of a faith-filled heart. Janice was blessed to share more than 58 years with the love of her life with whom she established the family who was her greatest gift. Janice will be dearly missed and fondly remembered.

Janice Quade died on October 24, 2010. Janice’s family includes her children, Michael (Mary), Patrick (Kathy), and Thomas (Sandy) Quade; grandchildren, Vikki, Kimberly, Bryan, Andrew, Christopher, Maren, Jonathan and Stacy, great-grandchildren, and other relatives and friends. Janice was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 58 yrs., Walter Quade and daughter-in-law Sandi. Visit with Janice’s family and friends on Wed. Oct. 27 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church 3022 W. Wisconsin Ave. from 10 a.m. until time of the Funeral Service at 12 p.m. Interment Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery Union Grove, WI. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a memory or make a memorial donation to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Foundation. Arrangements provided by Suminski Family Funeral Homes, Voth & Anderson, 414-744-5156.