Janet Friedman

Janet Gruetzmacher Friedman passed away peacefully in her own home on April 10, 2024, with her family after 98 wonderful years. Janet Julia Gruetzmacher was born July 13, 1925 in Oshkosh, WI. She was the eldest child of Frederick and Anna (nee Gomoll) Gruetzmacher. She attended Peace Lutheran Parochial School for eight years and then graduated from Oshkosh High School. After graduation, Janet worked at the main office of Kimberly Clark in Neenah, WI, in the payroll department. She taught Sunday School and especially enjoyed singing in an acapella choir and in church choirs. She had the privilege of being invited by Mr. Leist to sing in the Mikado as one of the three little Maids presented by the community theater in Oshkosh. Janet married Rev. Clyde Friedman on July 3, 1954. Their journey took them to serving churches in Ohio (Kingsway, Montra, and Lima), Indiana (Angola and Linton), and Wisconsin (Oshkosh). She was involved in teaching Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and Children’s Choir as well as EEIII, Bible Study, and Stephen Ministry. After being a stay-at-home mom, Janet went back to work for Pranges Department Store and the Business Book of Miles Kimball in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1982. She retired in 1994 so she could visit her grandchildren more often. During her retirement, Janet took quilting classes at Oshkosh Technical College. She especially liked making quilts for her daughter and grandchildren, and branched off into making sweatshirt jackets and seasonal wall hangings for them. Janet loved being with her grandchildren and enjoyed their visits to Oshkosh. One of her favorite things was baking cutout cookies and frosting and decorating them with her grandchildren at Christmas time. Then she baked apple, pecan and pumpkin pies that really lit up her grandchildren’s eyes. Another thing she liked to do was play euchre with the family. Her grandchildren taught her to play video games and she was always Peaches in the Mario games. In 2009, Janet and Clyde’s journey took them to Deerfield, Illinois to live close to their only daughter, Julia, and her family. She had the joy of sharing in the activities of her grandchildren, Elaine and Jonathon, and being able to see them mature through high school and graduate from college. Janet shared her sewing talents by being a member of Zion church’s quilting group which made quilts for Lutheran World Relief. Janet had fond memories of family trips to Florida, California, North Carolina, and Texas and experiencing her first airplane ride. She thought it was an amazing world to explore especially with her grandchildren. Janet felt she had a wonderful life. She was grateful for all the love of her family and loved being together with them and hearing what they were doing with her lives. She enjoyed her neighbors and meeting new people with a smile. She wanted to thank everyone for being so special to her. Janet was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Ruth Clark and her brother Robert Gruetzmacher. She is survived by her 101-year-old husband, Rev. Clyde F. Friedman, her daughter Julia (Karl Arbaugh), her two grandchildren: Elaine Arbaugh and Jonathon Arbaugh (Dr. Alexandra Sjaarda). Memorials may be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church (Crossroads) Cemetery Fund in Dubois, Indiana, or Lutheran World Relief. Private services will be held at St. John’s Cemetery at St. John’s Lutheran Church at the Crossroads in Dubois, Indiana. Online condolences may be made at www.becherkluesner

Janet Friedman

July 13, 1925 - April 10, 2024