Janis Oakes
d. July 4, 2017
Janis Ruth Oakes was born in Duluth on May 31, 1926 to Clesson and Mayme (Nelson) Wiles of Proctor, MN. She was their youngest child with two older sisters. She had one older brother that died in childhood prior to her birth. She grew up in Proctor MN and attended both the University of MN Duluth and the University of MN St. Paul where she graduated in the first Post Graduate Class of Registered Nurses in MN in 1949.
Janis married Jim S. Oakes on Friday, June 24, 1949 at 8 o’clock in the evening at the Forbes Memorial Methodist Church in Proctor, MN. They lived in Duluth until 1962 when they moved to Montevideo so that Jim could manage First Federal Savings and Loan Assn. Their marriage produced 3 children: Clesson, Elizabeth and Charles.
When the Oakes children went to college, Janis worked at the Montevideo Hospital as the charge nurse in the surgical department. She was active in AAUW, Eastern Star, golf, traveling, Church committees, Rice Hospice, Shelter Care, and many book clubs in the Montevideo area. She and Jim made many overseas trips including spending 5 months on a mission trip to India following their retirement. Sadly, Jim Oakes died in January of 1991 at the age of 64 from cancer.
Following the death of her husband, Janis made many trips to Liberia, Africa and to the Caribbean Islands as a volunteer RN for the Methodist Church. She also made several annual trips to Mississippi to volunteer at a clinic run by 2 Catholic Nun NPs that were the only health care available in Durant, Mississippi, one of the poorest and most segregated counties in the United States.
Janis moved to an apartment several years ago and most recently lived at Luther Haven Nursing Home. She died on the 4th of July around 1 PM at the age of 91 years, one month, and 4 days.
Her brother, her parents, her husband, her sisters, her brothers in law, three nephews, and her son in law, Richard Trippler, preceded her in death.
Janis is survived by her three children, her daughter in law Peggy Oakes, her grandchildren: Matthew (& Shelly) Oakes, Jasmine (& Matt) Oakes, Jennifer Oakes, Nathan (& Karin) Oakes, Sarah (& Daniel) Oakes, Anne (& Ryan) Trippler Griffin, and Richard J. Trippler. She has 4 great grandchildren: Malayna Perry, Isabelle Perry, William Griffin and Marcus Griffin. She is also survived by 2 nieces, Nancy and Carol and 2 nephews, Mark and Roger.
Janis married Jim S. Oakes on Friday, June 24, 1949 at 8 o’clock in the evening at the Forbes Memorial Methodist Church in Proctor, MN. They lived in Duluth until 1962 when they moved to Montevideo so that Jim could manage First Federal Savings and Loan Assn. Their marriage produced 3 children: Clesson, Elizabeth and Charles.
When the Oakes children went to college, Janis worked at the Montevideo Hospital as the charge nurse in the surgical department. She was active in AAUW, Eastern Star, golf, traveling, Church committees, Rice Hospice, Shelter Care, and many book clubs in the Montevideo area. She and Jim made many overseas trips including spending 5 months on a mission trip to India following their retirement. Sadly, Jim Oakes died in January of 1991 at the age of 64 from cancer.
Following the death of her husband, Janis made many trips to Liberia, Africa and to the Caribbean Islands as a volunteer RN for the Methodist Church. She also made several annual trips to Mississippi to volunteer at a clinic run by 2 Catholic Nun NPs that were the only health care available in Durant, Mississippi, one of the poorest and most segregated counties in the United States.
Janis moved to an apartment several years ago and most recently lived at Luther Haven Nursing Home. She died on the 4th of July around 1 PM at the age of 91 years, one month, and 4 days.
Her brother, her parents, her husband, her sisters, her brothers in law, three nephews, and her son in law, Richard Trippler, preceded her in death.
Janis is survived by her three children, her daughter in law Peggy Oakes, her grandchildren: Matthew (& Shelly) Oakes, Jasmine (& Matt) Oakes, Jennifer Oakes, Nathan (& Karin) Oakes, Sarah (& Daniel) Oakes, Anne (& Ryan) Trippler Griffin, and Richard J. Trippler. She has 4 great grandchildren: Malayna Perry, Isabelle Perry, William Griffin and Marcus Griffin. She is also survived by 2 nieces, Nancy and Carol and 2 nephews, Mark and Roger.
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