A Celebration of Life Service for Janelle Kaye, age 79, of Windom, will be held at the Good Samaritan Society, Sogge Memorial Chapel on Monday, May 11th at 2:00 p.m. with a time of visitation and gathering for one hour prior to the service.

Janelle (Willsher) Kaye was born in 1946 to Norma Jean and Charles Willsher in Windom, Minnesota. She attended the Windom schools, graduated in 1964, and attended Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, until graduation in 1968. She then moved to Oregon and lived there much of her adult life.

After receiving her Master of Arts degree in 1976 at the University of Oregon, Janelle was an educator in the field of speech communication at a variety of colleges and universities in Oregon. In 1990, she moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she owned her own business as an alternative health professional and was a mediator for the Attorney General's office. In 1995, she moved back to Oregon, where she continued teaching and offering workshops that combined health education and communication skills.

In 2003, Janelle moved back to Windom to care for her family. During this time, she wrote and published a book about her dad's World War II experiences. Janelle enjoyed working at the Historical Society in Windom, offering her talents in research and grant writing for a variety of projects.

Bringing people together was a lifelong goal of Janelle's, and to this end, she spent her non-working time traveling and getting to know other cultures. After her move back to Windom, she started a high school class newsletter that brought classmates in contact with one another. Her later years were filled with gratitude for each adventure she embarked upon.

Janelle touched the hearts of many. She will lovingly be remembered by many of the CNA's, particularly the younger CNA's, for her friendship, listening ear and guidance she so generously offered.

In 2022, Janelle developed cancer and moved into the Good Samaritan Society—Sogge in Windom where she passed on Thursday, April 30, 2026.