I can't even begin to describe the pain I feel. My heart is so heavy with deep sadness.  I want so badly to talk to my mom. The past 2 months or more prior to her passing she wasn't talking or opening up her eyes. It's been a month now.  
Mom please give me a sign. Please! I need you.  I want to hold onto you and talk with you tell you how much I love you.
Paint the skies pink with sparkles 

There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about you, Mom.  I love you so much and miss you!  Miss your silliness and just everything!  
I am so very sorry you had to ensure that hateful disease.  I would have done anything to take that away from you. 
I am still waiting for a sign from you...I so wish I could talk to you and hear your voice.  I even called your phone the other day to see if your voicemail had your voice and unfortunately it did not...Much much love Mom.  My heart is so lost and heavy with sorrow

3 of 3..She was quite witty and would throw out some one liners now and then. I would always have some new project to work on and she would call them “bees in my bonnet”.  When we got a new kitten, I couldn’t think of a name, I asked for opinions and she said “NOMO” as in NO MORE PETS, since I already had a “menagerie”.
What a beautiful soul.  She was my rock when I needed her, she held out her arms when I needed a hug, she wiped my tears, she held my hand, we laughed together, cried together, and shared some amazing times together. We were there for each other; I would tell her she was the best mom ever and in return she would say you are the best daughter ever and how we both felt so blessed to have one another.
When my mom started to decline, she would feel sad and ask me, “what are you going to do with me”, I would tell her, “love you and take care of you”.  At points she knew something was wrong and it was so heartbreaking.
My heart feels so heavy with sadness, but knowing my Mom is at peace now and no longer fighting, I have some serenity.  Nothing is more painful than watching someone you love to lose themselves to dementia.  There wasn’t a day I did not mourn her.   So very blessed I was able to be with her and hold her hand when she had had enough and was ready to join my Dad.  She looked incredibly beautiful, her face like an angel and no longer was her body in pain.
You are with me always, locked inside my heart.  No goodbyes, but until we are reunited one day. I love you so much and miss you terribly. Thank God for the incredible memories and most of all, for giving me the most amazing mom.


2 of 3...We had ventured out to Virginia and explored civil war battlefields and some historical buildings along the way. By the 3rd day she said, “If I see one more battlefield I am going to vomit”, thus ending the battlefield visits.  In spite of that, we had a wonderful time. 
When my parents got new carpet, my Dad would say “She’s putting the carpet to bed”.  As she would be putting down plastic to protect it.  At some point, this got to be tiresome, and she stopped. Oh my, so funny, I literally was laughing as I typed this.
My Mom had a competitive nature and would always win when we played “Clue” or “Trivial Pursuit” growing up.  In “Clue” she was always jotting stuff down and we never understood why!  She was quite a sleuth.  We played lots of basketball.  She would school her grandkids multiple times on the concrete court, much to their dismay.  Even the kids in the neighborhood, especially Jake, would come over and ask her to play a game of basketball. Which she was always up for!  She enjoyed playing cards and would often say, if I just had this card or that… then miraculously she would get the cards needed and won, 99% of the time.  She played several people in Words with Friends and if someone were to beat her, she would exclaim “I think they cheated”.  
She loved all sports, especially hockey. We would go to see the Omaha Lancers hockey games frequently, as my parents had season tickets.  It was advised not to sit too close to her, as she would be screaming at the players to “HIT IT” and would grab the arm of anyone close so hard that bruising may have been involved. 
She loved angels, flowers, her dog Mississippi, the color pink, anything that sparkled and miniature Snickers, they had to be wrapped, because to her they tasted better.  I shouldn’t forget to include office supplies and flashlights.  Flashlights can be used as weaponry as she would put it under the couch along with a filet knife, in case she was “accosted”.  I laughed again out loud


1 of 3: My mom had a few endearing names, Mum, mom, Nano-Banano, Bugs, Nano, My Bride (as my dad would call her, which would make her eyes roll).  I would call her my best friend, my hero, and now my guardian angel. 
I am so very thankful she was my mom.  I am grateful to have so many wonderful memories, that I will treasure and hold onto, until we meet again.  She was the most intelligent, loving, funny and caring woman I have ever known.  She would use words like she was a walking thesaurus, and I would joke with her and request that she use “Simple English”.  She amazed me, plain and simple.
She had her sayings that she would use, which of course was annoying as a teen…. like:  “if I were you, which I am not, I would….”; “you don’t HAVE to go, you GET to go”; and “For Pete’s sake!”  I would say these to her as I became an adult, and she did not appreciate them and would say how annoying as we would break out into laughter.
I loved watching her interact and play with her grandchildren when they were babies.  The love she had for them was like no other. She enjoyed being around them and taking care of them.  I had only wished I lived closer, so she could’ve watched my kids every day.  She also enjoyed time she spent with her great-granddaughter, Lexi.  Lexi sure loved her Gigi and would take care of her. My mom was pretty enamored by Lexi’s sweet, kind nature.
Some saw my mom as the quiet one, however, once you got to know her, she was a bit sassy and hilarious! On my visits to Omaha, we would stay up all night talking and laughing.  Maybe have a bit of wine and walk down memory lane. We would get a good chuckle from a time when we were boating and ran out of gas.  My dad said to my brother and cousin to jump out into the water.  Mind you, this was the Missouri river!  My mom was floored and said “Bud, we need a plan”…he said, “the hell with a plan woman”!   She was always about having a “plan”.


I prayed for my mom to be at peace as the Lewy body dementia took a hold of her and was relentless.  Now my heart is full of pain like I can't describe the torture inside. I want to see her to tell her I love her with all my being.  I keep asking for a sign, begging her to send me one.  Yet I haven't seen one.  
Mom I'm sorry I didn't have all that was needed to take care of you at home when the dementia had started getting worse.  I made the decision, which was a tough one, to move you into a facility that was better equipped. I hope you can feel the love I have for you.  I hope you hear me taking to you everyday. I miss you!!

Miss my friend and neighbor so much 💔 we laughed together and we even had tears together  oh and wine 🍷 too!!  She Loved to visit and I loved knocking on her back door and surprising her and Sissy  ♥️♥️ she loved her chocolate !!!! Especially snickers but she liked the little ones that were individually wrapped they just tasted better 😊 and the chocolate marshmallow cookies and pecan sandies 😊 Nancy loved those ….. I always tried to keep her in stock with her favorites even when they weren’t on her list and treats for Sissy 🐶 as well …..Nancy loved her Gatorade too 😊 
I remember the few times I went over and trimmed her bangs 🤷🏼‍♀️we laughed so much 😢 (did she not trust me with scissors )it’s the little things that mean a lot😢and I know there’s more but can’t think right now 😢 I just know Nancy Janke was a beautiful person and the Memories I have of her will always be in my heart forever….. I think of her everyday I look at her house or out my kitchen window and immediately  I have a memory I know I won’t forget because I still have memories when I look out my kitchen window and see Bud in his backyard building a little rock wall around his tree ♥️
We had an amazing bond and we were Blessed to have each other
I miss her but I know my Friend is at peace and is no longer suffering from a horrible disease 😢😢😢 Eric was there to meet her at the gates of Heaven …. My prayers 🙏🏼 and support to Michelle and her family …. This has been a very difficult 😥 road to travel with her mom and her disease 💔  her mom was the Best and loved Very much♥️
Love you Michelle🙏🏼♥️ ✝️



Met Nancy Janke & Marcie Swanson at Jazzercise class in the mornings.  We enjoyed the workout and whenever the instructor asked if there were any requests for dance songs, Nancy would always request  "I'm Your Venus, I'm Your Fire " By Bananarama. She loved that song as well as the routine.  We shared numerous lunches during those times, and enjoyed visiting with one another. 

I will always remember how sweet and caring she was.  Michelle and I took a trip up to see DWTS in Omaha and stayed with Nan and Eric.  She made us dinner before the show and then that night she introduced me to the cherry pit pack to keep my feet warm.  I had never heard of it before and now not sure how I lived with out it.  I am glad she is at peace and not fighting that horrible disease that slowly took her away from the ones she loved.  I hope you all find comfort knowing that your Mom and Dad are back together. 

Nan and Eric were clients for over 30 years.  Both Nan and Eric were great people to work with and talk to.  Eric worked hard for his family.  As it says in the bible when husband and wife marry they become one flesh.  That was very obvious when Eric passed away.  I was so happy for Nan when she moved to live with Michelle and Ray.  Nan will be missed.

I met Nancy at Jazzercise when I moved back to Omaha in 1993.  We attended the same early morning classes and got to know each other.    We, Nancy, Kathy Norris, and I would often meet to go out to eat.  We had lots of fun together.  Nancy was always smiling and a joy to be around!  She will definitely be missed!

Marcie Swanson

A lifelong friend.  We had so much fun all of our school years.  I spent a lot of time at the Dueland home in Jamaica.  We played six on six basketball.  Nancy was a little spitfire on the basketball court.  Her nickname from coach Neubauer was Bugs.  We had a great time playing basketball.  And coach Neubauer also established a tumbling and rope jumping team that we were on and dearly loved.    We were both baton twirlers with the marching band.  Oh what fun we had with this and we traveled to many places with a great marching band.   Our senior year we were score keepers for the boys baseball team.  We got to travel to all the games with the baseball team.  Nancy loved coming out to the country where I lived.  My parents loved Nancy and she was always welcome.  My dad loved teasing her.  Until the last few years we kept in touch by mail or phone and could still have some laughs over things we had done.  We were known as Nancy and Sandy and had fun at whatever we were doing.  RIP
Nancy.  You will be missed and I am thinking of all your family🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Best friend since 1948.  RIP Nancy.  I keep thinking of all the special times we had.  Loved spending time at the Dueland house.

OBITUARY

Nancy Lu Janke

November 1, 1942 – February 7, 2022

McGilley & George Funeral Home and Cremation Services

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services