Shirley-Anne Janis

With love in her heart and work in her hands, Shirley-Anne Janis was a woman who loved to work, yet always put her family first. Hear now this story of her life and the love shared with those she called friends and family. The year 1926, was the year that parents Cecil V. and Florence (Swartzenfarber) Engle celebrated the birth of their only daughter, Shirley-Anne. She was born on the 9th of September in a year that was amidst great economic prosperity and the sounds of big band music. Shirley-Anne was born in Hackley Hospital, just as her mother was before her and her daughter and two grandsons were after her. Cecil and Florence owned and operated a real estate agency. They were founding members of the Calvary Baptist Church, a neighborhood church where Shirley-Anne attended as a child. Shirley-Anne attended McLaughlin Elementary School and graduated from Muskegon High School. All throughout her schooling, Shirley-Anne was an excellent student. Even with her superior academic abilities, as was true for most young women of that time, college was not an option. So Shirley-Anne went to work. It was all for the best, for if she had gone to college she might have never met up with Orville Janis. Shirley-Anne went to work as a secretary in the U.S. Naval office in Muskegon. Her future husband was working at Norge which was located in the same building. One fateful day they ran into each other at the drinking fountain. A little later, the girls in the office sent Shirley-Anne to get football tickets to the big game. When she noticed the guy from the drinking fountain already in line she asked him if he'd buy the tickets for her. He said that he would, but only if Shirley would go to the football game with him! Needless to say, she said "Yes." They sat next to each other at the game and barely left each other's side after that. After a year of dating, they said their "I dos" on November 16, 1947 in her home church. Orville began working for her parent's real estate business until he was recruited by Hackley Union Bank. He took that job and Shirley-Anne took his place in the family business. Shirley proved to be a real pioneer. While working for her parent's real estate business she opened an insurance agency of her own. She was able to balance the two jobs and made the schedules work together nicely. Shirley-Anne decided to sell her insurance agency to Bob Tuxbury. Years later, Shirley-Anne's daughter Renee would follow her mother's footsteps, only she reversed the process, working for Bob nearly 15 years before she began her own insurance agency, the Janis-Shunta Agency. When daughter Renee was born in 1957, Shirley-Anne and Orville moved to their home on Highgate in the Roodmont area of Norton Shores. This was a neighborhood where Shirley-Anne and her mother had focused much of their real estate business, always carefully introducing new homeowners to their new neighbors. Shirley-Anne loved all the many friends she made when she, herself, moved to the neighborhood. She and her mother also owned and operated a gift shop called LaBoutique on Broadway in Muskegon Heights. They enjoyed making pilgrimages to Merchandise Mart in Chicago together to acquire items for their store. They sold glassware, floral arrangements, and jewelry. Little Renee would go with her mother to the store. They kept the store until health problems for Shirley-Anne and her mother forced them to change course. Shirley-Anne was a wonderful mother and very active in Renee's school life while she was growing up. She also provided support for her husband and his work at the bank. Shirley truly loved being a mother and a wife, but also found time to serve as the president of the Hackley Hospital Auxiliary, to manage the Service League's 'Nearly New Shop,' and to work behind the scenes at the Port City Playhouse. After Renee was in high school, Shirley-Anne went back to work at the Social Security Office and remained there until retirement. But her life was not all work and Shirley-Anne did like to have fun. She absolutely loved to play Duplicate Bridge and was a Life Master. Bridge was a passion she shared with her husband Orville. She ran several bridge clubs throughout the years and was the founder of the Golden Agers Bridge Club. Shirley-Anne also loved dogs. She and Orville raised Chows together after aquiring a special one, named Chummy, just after getting married. In these last few years she moved from Chows to a special Chihuahua, named Coco. She and Orville also enjoyed traveling and wintered together in Gulf Shores, Alabama for many years during retirement. Shirley-Anne was a woman for her family. From taking her grandsons to swimming and golf, to teaching them bridge, to being for them in their time of need, Shirley-Anne didn't let anything get between her and her family, including some significant health problems. She even travelled to Hawaii with Renee and family after Orville died in March of 2002. When it came to a faith in God, she never wavered. As a young teenager, when it came to baptism, she said she would only go through with it, if she could still play cards and go to the movies! As we celebrate her life, it is to a God that loved a spirited young girl that we now commend Shirley-Anne's spirit, remembering always that she is with us and her love will on. Mrs. Shirley-Anne Janis of Muskegon died Sunday, February 5, 2006. She was preceded in death by her husband Orville in March of 2002.Shirley-Anne's family includes her 1 Daughter, Renee (Dr. Mark) Janis-Shunta; 2 grandchildren, Dustin (Amanda Whitehead) Bettendorf, and Cameron Shunta. Friend's may visit with Shirley-Anne's family on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 from 7-8:30 PM at Clock Funeral Home - Muskegon. A Lifestory Service will be held on Thursday, February 9, 2006, 1:00 PM at Clock Funeral Home - Muskegon with Rev. Jerry Depoy officiating. Interment will be at Norton Cemetery. Please visit Shirley-Anne's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a favorite memory, send flowers, or make a memorial contribution.