Jeannette Ann Blahnik Junk, age 99 years, one month and 20 days, passed peacefully away at her home on February 17, 2025.
She was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin on December 28, 1925. Jeannette grew up in Manitowoc, attended St. Andrew’s Catholic grade school and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1943. She always wanted to go to college.
Immediately after graduation she took the train to Washington, D.C. where she analyzed fingerprints for the Federal Bureau of Investigation during WWII. Jeannette also volunteered for the USO and VA hospital to help returning soldiers.
Returning to Manitowoc after the war, she worked as a telephone operator in both Manitowoc and Valders. When switchboard operators were phased out and dialing your own telephone was new, Jeannette’s job for the phone company was traveling to area businesses and teaching them how the new dial telephone worked. Jeannette also worked at the Super Valu grocery store on South 10th Street until 1989.
Jeannette married Earl A. Junk on November 27, 1948, at St. Andrew’s Catholic church. From 1959 until 1977, she and Earl owned and operated Manitowoc Paper Box Company on Dewey Street. Jeannette was an avid gardener, loved canning vegetables, making pickles, golfing, crocheting and playing cards. She was also involved in all the women’s auxiliaries of St. Andrews, the Knights of Columbus, the Elks Club and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Earl & Jeannette were long time supporters of Roncalli High School.
Jeannette was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Francis Blahnik, her husband, Earl Junk (2020), her four sisters and their husbands: Ruth (Mike) DeCarlo, Beverly (Albert) Orchekowski, Laverne (Robert) Provot, Yvonne (Derald) Zimmer, and her son-in-law Cal Kuehne (2020) and grandson-in-law Tim Jones (2017).
Jeannette is survived by her five children, Rose Ann Kuehne, Manitowoc, Brother Kevin Junk FSC, Narragansett, RI, Debra (Steve) Schroeder, Verona, WI, Carolee (Rick) Elliott, Mesa, AZ and Douglas Junk, Scottsdale, AZ.
Jeannette was grandma to eight, great grandma to ten and was looking forward to welcoming her first great-great grandchild in September.
Funeral Services will be held at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Newton (8100 Brunner Road) on Friday, April 11, 2025, at 11:00 am with visitation beginning at 9:00 until time of service. The Rev. David Beaudry and Deacon Steve Zimmer her nephew will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial with burial of her cremated remains at St. Wendel Cemetery in Cleveland.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family by visiting www.lakeshorefamilyfuneralhomes.com
The Lakeshore Family Funeral Homes, Reinbold & Pfeffer Funeral Home Manitowoc location, is assisting the family with funeral arrangements.
Thank you to Cathy, Jennifer and Cheryl of Home Health Services and Hospice for the loving care given to our mother these last few months.
