Janice Kay Tanner, age 72 of Walker, began her spiritual journey on Saturday, July 1, 2017 at her home with her family by her side.  She was born on May 8, 1945 in Long Prairie, MN, the daughter of Isadore and Remelda (Wettstein) Kotula. 

Jan grew up on Big Rock Resort in Walker and attended Walker High School where she graduated in 1963.  Following high school, Jan worked at 1st National Bank and in October of 1963 she married Richard Tanner.  Together they moved to Minneapolis where Richard attended the Minneapolis School of Arts.  They moved back to Walker in 1972.  Jan attended BSU where she would obtain a Degree in Community Service.  While going to school, she took a position at the Onigum Head Start and did all this while raising her five young children.  Jan knew the Onigum community very well and gained many lifelong friends from the area.  She became the Librarian at the Walker Public Library and in the mid 80’s she and her husband would open a lady’s clothing store in Walker called the Joy of Jeans.  Her husband, Dick, passed in 1996 and one year later Jan sold her store and began to travel with her dear friend.  They went to pow-wows and Indian conferences all over the nation to sell their wares.  Eventually Jan moved back to Walker and opened Kreatively Yours, another woman’s clothing store.  Even during this time, Jan would travel to craft shows with one of her daughters to sell their embellishments.  Jan was a wonderful quilt maker.  She enjoyed spending time with the Northwood’s Quilters Guild and helping with quilt shows.  The guild would donate quilts to many different organizations.  So, Jan’s hands and beautiful work have touched many different lives.

Jan enjoyed traveling all through her life, even at a young age when her parents would take her all over the country.  She was an avid sewer and would make clothing and gifts for her family and friends.  She loved reading books, but especially those that were written by Minnesota authors.  Jan had a love for Leech Lake and her family.  She was a very generous kind hearted woman who would never forget names and faces.  Jan could even tell you what a person had bought from her store many years after the fact.  She was a collector of black bears to remember her husband and her family being of the Bear Clan.  She will be missed by all who knew her.

The family that Jan joins again are her parents, her husband and one son.

Those she leaves behind to cherish her memory are her son; Dallas (Lisa) Jones-Tanner of Boy River, daughters; Evelyn (Jim) Campbell of Duluth, Valerie Tanner and her husband Greg Wostrel of Cloquet, and Gina (Matt Peterson) Drumbeater-Tanner of Bemidji, brother; Alan (Traci) Kotula of Lincoln City, OR, special son Clayton Daniels, 9 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren.

A memorial service for Jan will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, 2017 at the Northern Peace Funeral Home of Walker.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service also at the funeral home.  Honorary pallbearers will be all her grandchildren and John Whitebird. 

Jan’s care has been entrusted to the Northern Peace Funeral Home of Walker.  Online condolences for the family may be given at www.northernpeace.com