Janet Austin-Lieske, 76, Geneva

Published 8:10 am Sunday, November 17, 2013

Janet Lou Austin-Lieske, nee Denyes, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013, at her home. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Geneva. The Rev. Raul Silva will officiate. Interment will be in Chapel Hill Gardens Cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa, at a later date. Online condolences are welcome at www.bayviewfuneral.com.

Janet Austin-Lieske

Janet Austin-Lieske

Janet Lou Austin-Lieske was born on Oct. 3, 1937, in Grand Rapids, Mich., the daughter of Leroy F. and Cora (VanderHyde) Denyes. She grew up and went to school in San Francisco, Calif. On April 17, 1954, Janet married LeRoi D. Austin, Sr. in Austin, Nev. The couple lived in the Des Moines area where Janet worked in sales at Marshall’s in West Des Moines. Janet became a widow in 2005. On Sept. 15, 2007, she married Virgil “Pete” A. Lieske in Geneva. She was a member of St. Mary’s Church. Janet enjoyed bowling, knitting, watching westerns and game shows, and traveling with Pete.

Survivors include her husband Pete; children Lorna (Bruce) Britson of Omaha, Neb., Daniel Austin of Lenexa, Kan., Gerald of Des Moines, Shirley (John) Schultz of West Des Moines, and Patty (Brian) Hines of Des Moines; step-children Robert Lieske of Austin, Richard (Cathy) Lieske of Winona, Tony Lieske of Austin, Jeannine (Jim) Hagedon of New Hampton, Iowa, Peter (Jen) Lieske of Winona, and Raphael (Michelle) Lieske of Owatonna; 12 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; 12 step-grandchildren; and six step-great-grandchildren.

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Janet was preceded in death by her parents, Cora and Leroy Denyes, her first husband of 50 years, LeRoi Austin Sr., her son LeRoi Austin Jr., and her sister Shirley (John) Lewis.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Carmelite Monastery, 8249 De Montreville Trail, Lake Elmo, MN 55042-9545.