Janice Muellenberg Passed Away Peacefully on December 3, 2016 in the Company of Her Loving

Janice LaVonneMuellenberg

(March 06, 1929 - December 03, 2016)

Janice Muellenberg passed away peacefully on December 3, 2016 in the company of her loving children. She is survived by her children Lawrence “Lorrey” Muellenberg and Charlene Muellenberg, three grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and may friends and relatives. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Muellenberg, sister Beulah, and her parents. She was 87.

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at the Frankfort Methodist Church on Thursday, December 8, 2016 at 10:30 AM. Graveside services will be held at St. Mary's Catholic cemetery in Zell following a light luncheon at the Frankfort Community Center. In lieu of flowers the family request donations to the Ronald McDonald House Foundation. Thelen-Hyke Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. (

Janice Higgins was born on the family farm on the banks of the James River, one mile west of Frankfort SD on March 6, 1929, the third of four children of Frederick “Fritz” and Beulah “Elva” (Baird) Higgins. Early life on the farm was trying in those dust bowl days of the Depression, with new clothes and shoes a luxury. School time meant walking over a mile on the railroad track (never slipping off) to Frankfort, in which she graduated in 1947.

While working at the First National Bank in Redfield, she and a couple friends decided to venture out into the western environs, stopping at Joynt’s Joint in Zell for refreshments. There she locked eyes with a dashing war veteran turned successful farmer. Courtship with Clarence Muellenberg followed this love-at-first-sight encounter culminating in marriage on February 8, 1950 and honeymoon in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

Janice assisted in the family farm business a mile south of Zell turning a house into a home, raising two children and making the best bread and sour cream raisin pie in the area. Shortly after the empty nest occurred, she returned to work at the First National Bank which later became Norwest. She actually physically moved the money from the old bank to the new building without any escort. An early retirement option allowed much more time for traveling throughout the world.

Traveling with Clarence and others on organized group tours became a regular occurrence at least twice a year until Clarence's health failed. The list of countries visited was extensive including, China, Russia, Australia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, Peru, Chile, Argentina, numerous countries in Western and Eastern Europe, among several trips to the UK and Alaska.

Life at home included extensive reading of historical novels, crossword puzzles, choir and Sweet Adelines singing group, planning the next trip, and long walks with friends. As a lifetime member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary, she and Clarence spent many voluntary hours in kitchen duty for numerous banquets and parties in the VFW Post Home basement. She kept up on current events reading daily newspapers until the very end.