Janice Westenfelder

Janice Westenfelder, 83, passed away peacefully June 23, 2017 in Olympia, Washington, three months after her husband, Kirk. They were married nearly 61 years, and were co-owners of Kirk’s Drug, in Lacey, Washington. Janice was born January 27, 1934 in Kansas City, Missouri, to Elmer H. (aka “Toughy” or “E.H.”) and Erma (LaDell aka Laudell) Julian. Janice also had a younger brother, Joseph Hall Julian. The two siblings grew up for the most part in Mill Valley, California, where Toughy and Erma built their house on a hill with a beautiful view. Toughy worked for the Army at the Presidio, managing their communications department, and Erma was an expert San Francisco real estate agent. Attending school in Mill Valley, Janice became an accomplished young woman. A member of Jobs Daughters of Mill Valley, she enjoyed sharing the experience of Eastern Star with her mother, a Grand Matron, and her father, a Mason and a Shriner. Having a beautiful soprano voice, Janice sang frequently during high school and for Eastern Star, continuing through college and through the 1970s. During her years in Ogden, Utah, she was invited twice to sing for statewide woman’s conventions. As a young woman, Janice was also an accomplished violinist, and was invited several times to play with the prestigious San Francisco Orchestra during her high school years. She continued to play her violin for several years and taught for a time as well. In 1952, she won a journalism award for outstanding journalism for her work on the Mill Valley Record. She was the H.S. journalism editor her senior year of high school. An avid horsewoman and competent tennis player, she enjoyed her youth. Janice attended two years of college after high school. She met the love of her life in the summer of 1956 while Kirk was in San Francisco for summer work in between his junior and senior year of pharmacy school at Idaho State. They married October 6, 1956, in Pocatello, Idaho, and lived there while Kirk finished pharmacy school. In the summer of 1956 for Kirk’s initial pharmacy job, they moved to Bellingham, Washington, where Tracy, Michael, and Kristen were born. They lived in a darling little home right off the shore of Lake Whatcom, where Janice enjoyed entertaining their friends, raising their children, sewing, giving violin lessons, and attending the chapel at The Firs. They also had their first dog, Baron, there. He was so tall, Tracy and Michael could walk underneath him. In fall of 1961, Janice and Kirk moved to Ogden, Utah, where Kirk managed the Wangsgards pharmacy. In Ogden, Janice gave birth to two more children, Robin and then Jonathan. Janice attended first the Lutheran church where she helped with the pageants and Vacation Bible Schools (VBS), and then the family attended Calvary Baptist Church, where she continued helping with VBS, and became the choir director and one of the soloists. In December of 1967, Kirk and Janice moved from Utah to Lacey, Washington, to buy a drug store, which they opened in January of 1968 as Kirk’s Tanglewilde Drug. During their years as owners, Janice played a pivotal role in the store, first as bookkeeper, then earning her pharmacy technicians license, she worked in the pharmacy. She also did purchasing, assisted in hiring, and enjoyed spending time with Kirk. She continued to enjoy raising her children, taking them to church, sports activities, Kings Choral Aires Children’s Choir, and teaching them how to raise animals, cook, sew, take photos, and many other activities. She played catch in the back yard with Michael, rode horses with Robin, helped Kristin build terrariums, took her and Rob to Girl Scouts, watched Robin and Jon’s many shows, and taught Tracy how to cook and sew through 4-H. Janice continued working at VBS in the summers, first at Lacey Baptist Chapel and then at Evergreen Christian Center. She was also an avid reader, having read hundreds of books through the years, including Bible studies, counseling, science fiction, historical novels, history books, and cookbooks. Her love of animals was well known, especially her cats. She also loved her horses, goats, ducks, chickens, dogs, parakeets, sheep, and rabbits through the years. She loved attending church. After Evergreen, Janice and Kirk attended Living Water, and then the local Orthodox Church in Olympia. The singing always touched her heart and would move her with tears of joy. Janice loved and appreciated her current church family at Neighborhood Christian, where folks have been so kind and sweet to both Janice and Kirk. The ladies there always loved on Janice in her wheelchair and brought a smile to her face. The Westenfelder family knows Janice would want to express her thanks to her Neighborhood Church family, and her friends at Mother Joseph’s and Panorama. Special thanks to all who provided the love and care she received the last few months at Panorama, especially nurses Colleen, David and John, who made Janice’s and Kirk’s last months special and memorable for them. Janice passed peacefully after an unexpected brain bleed. St. Peter Hospital staff kept her very comfortable her last few days, and went out of their way to provide a room where family could be nearby at all times. She was ready and happy to go home to be with Jesus, her husband, Kirk, and her parents. She leaves behind her five children, Tracy (Andy) Kramer (with their four children, son-in-law and two grandchildren), Michael (Cindy Furman) Westenfelder (with Michael’s three children, two in-laws, and eight grandchildren), Kristen Elise Julian (with three children, two in-laws, and three grandchildren), Robin Westenfelder (and several special puppies), and Jonathan (Sheryl) Westenfelder (with six children, two in-laws, and six grandchildren). Please leave memories of Janice or condolences for her family in the Guestbook below.