Jennifer Rose (Julius) Wedel

Jennifer Rose Wedel, 71, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, went home to be with her Lord on Sunday, June 5, 2022. She had a blessed life and was a tremendous blessing to many. Jenny was born on March 14, 1951, in Oakland, California, the daughter of Edward and Jean (Boren) Julius. The Julius family moved to Beloit, Wisconsin, where Jenny met Gregory Wedel, one year her senior at F. J. Turner High School.

The high school sweethearts continued to date while Greg attended Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia, and Jenny worked at Wisconsin Surety in Madison, Wisconsin. They were married September 9, 1972, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Beloit and Jenny joined Greg in Atlanta where he attended graduate school and she worked at the Fulton County Courthouse. They then returned to Beloit, where they raised their five daughters, the joy of their lives.

Jenny held multiple family jobs: chauffeur, chef, maid, coach, secretary, and, of course, master scheduler. She coached volleyball and cheerleading. She was always supportive and smiling.

Before moving to Kalamazoo in 2002, Jenny worked for Black & Decker and attended Blackhawk Technical College. She received her associate degree from Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Jenny was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She enjoyed camping, canoeing, reading, gardening, going for walks, playing volleyball, birdwatching, taking care of her beagles, playing euchre, and spending time with family, especially her grandchildren. She was a faithful member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Beloit and of St. Michael Lutheran Church in Portage. Faith and family were the cornerstones of her life.

Jenny and Greg would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in September of this year.

Jenny was incredibly selfless, always putting others before herself. She provided a listening ear for her five daughters and for others, and she served her church as a Stephen Minister. Her first thoughts were with others - even while in the hospital. She fought her medical challenges over the years and never complained about the hand she was dealt. She trusted God's plan for her. She touched many lives. She will be greatly missed.

She is survived by her husband Greg and their children: Cresta (Scott) Jones of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; Erin (Oscar) Cantu of St. Charles, Illinois; Emily (Todd) Reese of New Albany, Ohio; Jessie (Dustin) Benson of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Laurel (Jeff) Johnson of Kansas City, Missouri, and her grandchildren Margaret, Clara, and Harriet Jones; Palmer and Delaney Cantu; Mikayla and Addison Reese; and Anders and Bergen Johnson. She is also survived by her sisters Eleanor Newton and Phyllis (Reg) Haw and her husband's siblings, Linda (Phil) Eberle, Ann (Larry) Rubin, Gary (Jean) Wedel, and Karl (Carrie) Wedel, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, Edward and Jean Julius, her brother-in-law Paul Newton, and her husband's parents, Oscar and Mildred Wedel.

A visitation will be held at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Portage, Michigan, on Saturday June 11 at 10:00 a.m., followed by a celebration of life at 11:00 a.m. The service will be broadcast live and available at www.facebook.com/StMichaelLutheranChurchPortageMI. Family and friends are invited to a luncheon in the church gymnasium following the service. Langeland Family Funeral Homes is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the family at https://www.langelands.com. A private inurnment will be held at a future date in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Memorials may be given in her name to St. Michael Lutheran Church, 7211 Oakland Drive, Portage, Michigan 49024 or to St. John's Lutheran Church, 1000 Bluff Street, Beloit, Wisconsin 53511.

The family would like to thank friends and relatives for their love, support, cards, calls, and prayers, particularly during this past year. The family also thanks Rev. Paul Naumann and the medical staff who gave her such kind attention and her grandchildren who kept her heart so warm.