Janice Edleman Spieker

Janice Edleman Spieker, age 74, of Willow Lake died Thursday, August 26th in the Golden Living Center at Clark as a result of a brain tumor diagnosed February 2nd. Funeral services will be held on Monday, August 30, 2010 at 11AM in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark with Pastor C. Mitchell Knapp officiating. Dorothy Fuller will be the pianist with Claudia Brunick as soloist. Special readings will be by Ken Skorseth and her brother, Myron Edleman. Burial will follow in the Collins Cemetery at Willow Lake. The active casketbearers will be her grandsons, Dan, Bob, Jered, James, Dathan and Damon Spieker, Zac, Tyler, Jesse and Cody Dreaden. The honorary casketbearers are her granddaughters, Ashley SPieker, Erin, Sarah and Briana Murphy. Visitation will be held on Sunday from 3-5 PM and on Monday from 9AM until service time in the Furness Funeral Home at Clark. She was born Janice Joan Edleman on March 21, 1936, on a farm six miles southeast of Willow Lake, the oldest child of Elmer and Ruth (Neuberger) Edleman. Always an excellent student, Janice started out at country school Washington #40. While she was in second grade, however, her parents bought a farm one mile north of Willow Lake, choosing that location largely with concerns for their childrens education in mind. Janice graduated valedictorian of her class in 1954. On November 26, 1954, she was united in marriage to Harlan Dale Spieker whose family had long been friends of the Edleman. After living in Willow Lake that first winter, they moved in March 1955 into their home that Harlan and his dad had remodeled from the Rosedale School south and west of Willow Lake where they have lived and farmed ever since until their retirement this spring. An accomplished musician since her youth, Janice played piano and organ for audiences from a private few to a public several thousand. After her youngest child started high school, she started working at Parkview Care Center and Assisted Living as a CNA/CMA, touching the lives of residents there for twenty years. She was a devoted mother to six children, an avid gardener, a talented quilter and needle worker, an enthusiastic world traveler, a hard-working farm wife, and a committed Christian. As her husband I can say, She did us good all the days of her life. She was beautiful, but she dont know shes beautiful . . . though time and time Ive told her so.!! Preceding her in death were her parents Elmer (in 1991) and Ruth (in 2006) Edleman and her youngest son Mark (in 1991). Surviving her are her husband Harlan of Willow Lake, SD and children Sandra (Art) Dreaden of Crestview, FL, Susan Spieker of Greeley, CO, John (Marlene) Spieker of Bryant, SD, David (Dawn) Spieker of Willow Lake, SD, and Ann (Doug) Murphy of Omaha, NE; grandchildren Zac, Tyler (Jenny), Jesse (Shea), and Cody Dreaden, Dan (Meghan) Spieker, Bob (Kelly), Jered, and James (Janessa) Spieker, Dathan (Kami), Ashley, and Damon Spieker, Erin, Sarah, and Briana Murphy; and great-grandchildren Kim, Colin, Mason, and Jakob Spieker. Also surviving her are her sister June (Huon) Newberg of New Ulm, MN and brother Myron (Ann) Edleman of Watertown, SD and many nieces, nephews, sisters-in-law, and brothers-in-law. The family suggests memorials in her memory to the Prairie Lakes Hospice at Watertown, SD. Arrangements are announced by the Furness Funeral Home of Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com