Janis Moore Walzem

Janis Moore Walzem (affectionately known as our Grannie Janie) was born April 25, 1947, in Moline, Illinois. She was the oldest of the nine children of William and Barbara Jo (Torrance) Walzem. Growing up, she took responsibility for her younger siblings and for helping with the household chores. Except for her first two years, never in her life was she not a mother.

Janis attended Alleman High School in Rock Island, Illinois. After graduation, she pursued both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, graduating with a Master’s in Social Work from St. Louis University. Over the years, she worked in many aspects of consulting and social work, including hospital rehabilitation, nursing homes, and health insurance.

Coming of age in the 1970s, Janis helped to forge a new path for women, one that balanced career, family, and personal life. She reinforced how difficult it is to be female, even as she celebrated her own strength and that of others. In the late 1970s, Janis moved from Illinois to Boise, Idaho, where she built a life and raised three children. She took them on adventures in the mountains and down the river and taught them all to value books and reading. Once they ran into (literally) Peter Fonda at a swimming pool in Jackson Hole. Janis’s friends and family remember her strength and support: “Take that path only you can see,” she’d say, “the one that is your heart’s desire. I’ll be here one step behind you.”

Janis did not wait for retirement to pursue her passions: sewing, needlepoint, crochet, weaving, embroidery, and beading, to name a few. One brother remembers a pair of cool white pants she sewed for one of the older brothers that got passed down to each brother—but somehow thrown out before it was his turn! For many years, she had two huge looms set up at home to create large-scale artwork and multi-colored rugs. Most recently, she turned to needlepoint and quilting. She loved collecting beautiful colors of yarn and material to use in her art. Her unique quilts and weavings are valued by many family members.

Janis loved to travel. She spent time hiking and finding hot springs in the Rocky Mountains, sunning and playing cards with family on Texas and Florida beaches, and getting farther afield to Europe a couple times. In her forties, Janis joined her daughter Alice for a month of backpacking across Germany, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Austria. She loved to tell the story of getting fit for this trip by walking miles in a hilly suburban neighborhood. Later, Janis spent three years in the Peace Corps in Bratislava, Slovakia, teaching small business skills after the fall of the communist regime.

In 2024, Janis moved to Yarmouth, Maine, to be near family. She set up a cozy house for herself and her two cats with an impressive craft room and brightly colored walls covered with photographs of family and paintings by her brother Chuck, a prolific artist. Her grandchildren visited their Grannie Janie often to eat Milk Duds, watch movies, and chase the cats. With her bright smile, she made friends fast in her new home. She provided a safe space to be and to grow. She was loved.

On Monday, March 16, 2026, Janis Moore Walzem passed away at Maine Medical Center from complications of pulmonary fibrosis. She was surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and siblings. The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever played as she took her last breath. She was 78 years old. Survivors include two children: Alice Rebecca Moore and her husband Bryan Keller of Yarmouth, and Aaron Walzem Moore of Edmond, Oklahoma. Janis was predeceased by one daughter, Kristen Meier of Boise, Idaho. Six of Janis’s eight siblings survive her: Lisa Woo of North Carolina, Torry and Sue Ann Walzem of Kentucky, Joseph and Bobbi Walzem of Illinois, Anna and Tim Emery of Oregon, Vincent and Linda Walzem of Colorado, and Allen and YunWei Walzem of Japan. Janis was predeceased by her brothers William and Charles Walzem. Janis also boasts six grandchildren (Chance, Faith, Jasper, Merrick, Emmett, and Lucy Bea) who already miss their Grannie Janie very much. She was a generous mom to many cats over the years.

Janis will be remembered at a private ceremony on March 20, 2026. A celebration of life will be announced soon. In lieu of flowers, please find an independent bookstore or crafting shop near you and spend some time thinking about Janis as you shop local.