Janet Mary Sinke

Janet Mary Sinke
A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, August 12, 2022 at Catholic Community of St. Jude, 801 N. Bridge Street, DeWitt. The family will receive friends from 2:00pm-8:00pm, with a rosary being prayed at 7:00pm on Thursday, August 11, 2022 at McGeehan Funeral Homes - Keck-Coleman Chapel. 1500 Waterford Pkwy, St. Johns.
Janet M. (Koenigsknecht) Sinke, of St. Johns, passed away on August 7, 2022 at the age of 71, after a long, hard fought battle with Parkinson's Disease. She was born February 22, 1951 in St. Johns, MI. The daughter of Nicholas and Margaret (Stay) Koenigsknecht, Janet lived her entire life in the St. Johns area. She graduated from the Borgess School of Nursing in 1972. She dedicated her life to this career, serving others for over 30 years. The latter part of Janet's career was dedicated to Hospice care. After retiring at the age of 50, Janet began a second career, that of an author. She started writing books under the pen name, Grandma Janet Mary, which was inspired by her grandchildren and Hospice experiences. Her love of the written word and passion for spreading the message of kindness, love, and family did not go unnoticed, as she became a national, award winning author.
Janet was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Johns, and enjoyed spending time with her family, writing, fishing, and watching her grandchildren discover their passions. Janet married her beloved Michael Sinke on June 17, 1972 and he survives her. Together, they raised five children who are also surviving; Jason (Nicole) of Hudsonville, Emily (Kevin) Palmatier of St. Johns, Jacob (Barb) of Williamston, Sarah Brya (David Cooper) of DeWitt, and Michael (Kim) of Onekama, MI.
Janet was an extraordinary mother and together, with Mike, they instilled in their children a strong sense of faith, the gift of family, and what it means to be a giver and bless those you encounter. Even in her final moments, Janet continued to give to others, including, her most treasured gifts from God, her 16 grandchildren, who also survive her: Gavin, Gibson, Ruby, Sylvie (Jason and Nicole), Ellen, Madalyn, Murray (Emily and Kevin), Ethan, Maggie, Max (Jake and Barb), Gabbie, Molly, Brody (Sarah), and Mason, Callie, and Johnny (Michael and Kim). Nana, as they affectionately called her, instilled in them the importance of true treasure, each other. Her legacy will live on in them. Four sisters; Sue (Bob) Rehmann, Karen (Doug) Lawrence, Mary (Mark) Geller, and Connie (Kurt) Conley, along with her two brothers; Gary and Nick (Rita) and her sister-in-law Darlene (Ron) survive her as well. She was preceded in death by her parents, Nick and Marge Koenigsknecht, her brothers, Ron and Gerard.
In lieu of flowers the family would like donations to be made to "Hospice House of Sparrow".
Sparrow Hospice Services
1210 West Saginaw Street
Lansing, MI 48915
(517) 364-7200
www.sparrow.org/hospice
For further information, phone McGeehan Funeral Home, Keck-Coleman Chapel at 989-224-4422.