Janet Marie Shipley was born on April 17, 1938 in Terre Haute to William “Bill” Holthaus and Roselyn M. Melosch Holthaus. She was born on Easter Sunday and was their “Easter Lilly.” She married her high school sweetheart in 1955 at St. Ann’s Church in Terre Haute.
Janet worked for many years as a receptionist for Dr. Gordon McLaughlin, Dr. Robert Rourke and Dr. Ronald Rourke. In her younger years, Janet and LeRoy loved to water ski. She was also a fantastic bowler and bowled on several league teams since she was 9 years old. She was an avid fan of her children and grandchildren’s sporting and school activities. She took several bus trips with her loyal companion, LeRoy, and friends. Her favorite trips were to a casino where she loved to play the slot machines. She hit a large jackpot once and was ecstatic, and as expected she shared the winnings with her three children and their families. She was most happy when her family could all be together. She was very proud of each one of them and never hesitated to tell them or brag about them to friends and anyone she met. She could sit and chat with anyone and always had a smile on her face. She was a current member of St. Patrick’s church. She was a longtime member of the Minnie Pearls Girls Red Hat’s Society, Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, and Wednesday card club.
This past summer, her dream vacation came to life. Janet and some of her family were able to travel together to Aruba! She enjoyed dinner on the beach at sunset, swimming in the infinity pool, walks to the beach, many sunsets, feeding the friendly iguanas, late night games and great conversation with her children and grandchildren.
If friends should so desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Janet Shipley Scholarship Fund, c/o Wabash Valley Community Foundation, 200 South 8th Street, Terre Haute, IN 47807 or by clicking here.