Juergen “Jerry” Robert Janssen
Gott würfelt nicht - Einstein (God doesn’t roll dice)
Thank you for your service
Juergen served in the armed forces. We honor that service here.
Four score and 9 years ago this past January 2 (2026), by the grace of God, this amazing man entered the world. He was adopted just a little over eight months later, on September 8, by Robert J. and Esther M. (Diehl) Janssen of Peoria, who gave him the most amazing life abundantly filled with love. His mother always said that he “didn’t grow under her heart, he grew in it”.
Jerry watched his daddy go off to war, lived during the Great Depression, began driving at the age of 9, helped on his aunt and uncle’s farm, and assisted with his father’s painting business. He graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana but often said it was his least favorite learning experience. His favorite, however, was the time that he spent serving in the U.S. Army. In his service, he worked as an intelligence agent in Herzogenaurach, Germany. It was there that he fell madly in love with his beautiful wife of 64 years (to eternity), Hannelore Rauch. After his time with the Army, they moved back to the States to raise the family they had started. Jerry went back to working for his father, later taking over and expanding the business.
Over the years, he had painting and construction businesses and enjoyed dabbling in the stock market where he traded on the floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange. He sold insurance, was a real estate broker, and was also involved with the infrastructure for tollways, roads, and bridges.
In his retirement, he began Peoria Business Leaders, a welcoming service for new homeowners, where he personally called on over 40,000 homes in the Peoria area – chances are, if you bought a home here, he knocked on your door to offer a warm welcome, coupons, and information. Jerry had a deep love for this town and its rich history. His father served as a councilman for many years, so it was, in a way, a part of him.
He had a passion for world history, literature, poetry, and prose and recited the works of Dylan Thomas, Shelley, Keats, Byron, and Poe up until the end. He had a deep appreciation for Lincoln, which he shared with his youngest daughter. In addition to these things, Jerry also had a fondness for the wonder of nature and all creation: the bees, the deer, the squirrels, the birds – none was a stranger to him.
On August 16, 2026, at 1643, God called Jerry home. The world was changed for the better just for him having been in it.
Jerry leaves behind his pride and joy, his family – his beloved wife, Hannelore; children: Uwe (Cheryl) Janssen of Nevada, Susan (Perry) Maddox of Georgia, Kimberly (Richard) Book of Brimfield, Jacqueline Janssen of Peoria, and Robert (Amber) Janssen of Peoria; 13 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; sister, Susan Burge of Louisiana; brother, Stanley Harper of Montana; and his faithful four-legged companion, Jic-Jac.
Services for Jerry will be held at 11:00 a.m. at the First English Lutheran Church on Friday, August 28, 2026, with visitation one hour prior. Pastor Wayne Shelksohn will officiate. Burial will follow at Swan Lake Memory Gardens.
Rather than a donation or memorial contribution, the family urges you to do what Jerry loved to do: random acts of kindness – buy a stranger a meal in a restaurant, pay for someone’s groceries, or pay for the order of the person in line behind you. We can never know for sure what those around us are going through, but we can try to make their day a little easier.
“Rest in Heaven, dear sweet beautiful soul!”
Death At A Funeral
Do Not Go Gentle Into ThaT Goodnight
The world Juergen knew
Family milestones in gold, history for context
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