Memorial services for Jan Claussen, 84, of Wayne will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21 at Grace Lutheran Church in Wayne. Visitation will be held Monday from 9:30 a.m. until service time at Grace Lutheran Church in Wayne.
Jan died Friday, Aug. 11, 2023 at her home in Wayne.
Memorials may be directed to the Claussen family for later designation.
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home of Wayne.
Jeanette Janet Claussen was born Oct. 25, 1938 in Norfolk, to Emil and Rose (Lierman) Retzlaff. She married A. Eugene ‘Gene’ Claussen Nov. 11, 1956 in Hadar. She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Wayne. Janet was a homemaker and a nurse’s aide in Wayne. In 1969 Gene and Jan purchased Geno’s El Rancho outside of Pilger. Later they owned and operated Geno’s Steakhouse in Wayne and JD Brothers Steakhouse in Norfolk. In retirement she enjoyed her time at The Market at Geno’s. Jan loved her flowers and her puzzles. Janet was an authentic and vibrant woman who made friends naturally. She had a genuine interest in connecting with people and hearing their stories. She was warm, witty and included everyone she could in her laughter. Jan’s greatest pleasure was creating a bright and festive place for people to sit and visit.
Survivors include her loving husband; her four children, Julie (Alan) Thomsen of Wayne, David (Michelle) Claussen of Winside, Sherri (Brian) Horning of Overland Park, Kansas and Jason (Heidi) Claussen of Wayne; 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her father and mother-in-law, Adolph and Dora Claussen; brothers, Milton Retzlaff, Delbert Retzlaff and Marvin Retzlaff; sisters, Delpha Wolff and Lois Nielsen and grandson-in-law Devon O’Connell.
