Janice "Jan" C (Junjak) Winn

Mishawaka, IN-Janice “Jan” Carol (Junjak) Winn was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 19, 1949, to Julius and Ilene Sorensen Junjak, and she left this earth on November 22, 2020, in Mishawaka, Indiana, the town she loved. She married Murray Winn in Twin Valley, MN on November 25, 1972, before moving to Mishawaka the following summer.   Jan was preceded in death by her sister, Baby Ilene; her father, and her mother and stepfather, Jerome and Ilene Kappes.  She is survived by her husband, Murray; her brothers Lance (Kathy) Junjak and Jerry (Kris) Kappes; sisters-in-law Patricia Winn and Donna Brunk, plus many nieces and nephews.

Jan graduated from Twin Valley High School in 1967 and started her career at Northwest Bell in Fargo, North Dakota, following her University of Minnesota, Crookston education.  In Mishawaka, she managed Lakeshore Estates Mobile Home Park.  There she met Mayor Margaret Prickett, and commenced her highly involved future within the Republican Party.  Her GOP offices included: Vice Chair of St. Joseph County, President of the Mishawaka Republican Women, District Secretary for Congressional District 2, and Mishawaka City Republican Chair for seventeen years.  She volunteered forty years as a precinct person and dedicated countless hours as a mentor and trainer for numerous candidates, using her particularly effective campaign strategies to help get many of them elected in Mishawaka.  She was a recipient of the St. Joseph County Republican Circle of Distinction Award, was twice awarded the Republican Woman of the Year Award, and received the John Hurty Award from Indiana AWWA for her years of service.

In addition to her political life, she was also a very active member of Business & Professional Women/USA, serving at the local, state, and national levels; a past board member of the Salvation Army and past president of the Salvation Army Auxiliary; a past board member of Portage Manor, the St. Joseph County Home; a member of the American Water Works Association, Indiana Water Resource and St. Joseph County Water Resource Advisory Boards, and a City of Mishawaka employee for more than 40 year, with more than 30 years at Mishawaka Utilities Water Department, holding a WT3 water plant operator license.  Jan was awarded the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash Award from the governor of Indiana in 2018.

Jan was always the go-to person when there was work to be done, but she never wanted anything in return.   She stood up for anyone who needed her help and was meticulous and thorough in everything she did, whether it was organizing a spaghetti dinner fundraiser or making sure everyone got a birthday card. She believed in hard work, pledged to always keep smiling and certainly appreciated a good laugh, and gave thanks to God for all He gave her.

Many people in Mishawaka, especially her husband, Murray, and her beloved pets, will miss her greatly.  But, no one who met her could ever forget her wonderful smile and indelible sense of commitment.

There will be no immediate funeral service.  A celebration of life will be announced later as conditions permit.  Contributions may be made in her name to the St Joseph County Humane Society at 2506 Grape Road Mishawaka, IN 46545.

To leave the family an online condolence please visit, www.hahnfuneralhome.com.

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