Janice Steinke

April 21, 1925 - November 29, 2020

Janice Muriel (Oakes) Steinke, age 95, of Saginaw, passed away Sunday, November 29, 2020, at Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw. The daughter of Harry and Vida Oakes, Janice was born on April 21, 1925, on the family farm in St. Charles, Michigan where she and her five brothers and sisters were raised. It wasn’t long after graduating from St. Charles High School that Janice moved to Saginaw with her sister and found work. Within a couple of years she also found love, marrying Richard Steinke, a tall, slender man from Saginaw. They began their journey of life and love together on May 26, 1945, marrying at Trinity Lutheran Church in Saginaw. He predeceased her in 1981. As a young mother, eventually raising a family of four children, Janice still found time to be a Cub Scout leader, a PTA member, and she participated in many activities at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, where she was a faithful member from 1957-1986 and again from 2013 until the time of her passing. Home gardening was always important to her and her family. Each year, she would grow and put up a variety of vegetables from her extensive garden. Already an excellent cook, Janice gained a reputation as a baker, as well. Each year, as the Christmas holidays approached, Janice began planning for the various sweet treats she would bake for friends and family to enjoy. Dozens of batches of Potiza bread, stollen, and cinnamon rolls would begin to fill her deep chest freezer followed by hundreds upon hundreds of beautifully decorated cookies, delighting the palates of her family and visitors alike. She and Richard were partners in several bowling leagues over the years, and were members of the Germania Club of Saginaw for decades. In the early days of her work-life, Janice worked first as a bookkeeper and, over time, in payroll and other departments, developing a thorough understanding of back office operations. This knowledge would serve her well as she progressed in her career and her talents as a business professional were recognized by others. From 1963-1968 Janice worked at the Saginaw Osteopathic Hospital as the general office manager of the credit union there. Recruited by Dr. Carmen Hazen to manage his medical practice in 1968, Janice also worked for his son, Dr. Larry Hazen in the same capacity within his practice beginning in 1972. Her talents and reputation grew and Janice was elected to the office of president of the Saginaw Chapter of the American Business Womens’ Association, where she served with distinction. She retired in 1986 and moved to be with family in Montana shortly afterwards, residing in the town of Livingston for nearly 12 years before moving back to Michigan. Janice and Richard had always enjoyed travel, typically vacationing by car with their children as a young family. As they became empty-nesters, the couple enjoyed multiple trips to Europe and Hawaii with friends. After Richard passed, Janice continued to travel with family and friends, touring Greece, Hawaii, the Mediterranean, and several visits to both Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. She had other hobbies in life, too, including bird watching, flower gardening, and she enjoyed the occasional tubing trip down the Yellowstone River in Montana. Janice is survived by her four loving children and their spouses, ten grandchildren, twenty great-grandchildren, and a great-great granddaughter. Gina (Tom) Van Horn, Andrew and Elizabeth Van Horn, Marissa and Tyler VanBrocklin, Tyler Van Horn; Griffin and Alex Calme, Harper Lynn Calme; and Morgan Calme; Ric (Linda Hausler) Steinke, Brooke and Brad Smith, and Ariana, Adelyn and Owen Smith, Nathan Steinke and Samaiara Steinke, Joel Steinke, and Hailey, Micah, and Malakai Steinke; Mark (Susan Andrew) Steinke and Olivia and Isabel Steinke; Paul (Deb) Steinke, Eric Steinke and Keagan Essenmacher, Andre and Amy Steinke, Jonathon Shillington, Georgia Shillington, Bowen and Asher Steinke; Adrien and David Brown, Emily Brown, Tyler and Connor Keys, Brandon and Zoe and Zephyros Steinke. Janice also leaves behind a younger sister, Irene (Oakes) Muirhead. Janice was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Henry Steinke; infant daughter, Gretchen Steinke; granddaughter Deana (Van Horn) Calme, granddaughter-in-law Toni Steinke; plus four of her siblings: Jack Oakes, Duane Oakes, Jane (Oakes) Young, and Harriet (Oakes) Watt. A private family committal service and burial will take place at Roselawn Cemetery in Saginaw. Memorials in honor of Janice may be made to Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 808 Weiss Street, Saginaw, MI 48602. For information, please contact Fischer Family Funeral Services at (989)755-8277. To express your condolences, please visit www.fischerfuneral.com.