I was just given permission from the family to post the date and time for Jan's funeral service.

Here is the information:

Friday, May 20

Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home
4565 Pleasant St. SE
Prior Lake, MN 55372
(952) 447-2633

Visitation 9:30am
Celebration of life ceremony 11:00am

Lunch buffet immediately after at the VFW in Prior Lake
VFW Post 6208
16306 Main
Prior Lake, MN 55372
(952) 226-6208

Funeral Home Link

Also, if you want to send the family cards you may send them to their address. I have been given permission to share the address with you since it is already public information.

16395 Mandan Ave SE
Prior Lake, MN 55372

Thank you for the information. Are they requesting memorials to a specific charity?

Thank you so much.

Thanks for keeping us informed Kip

Thanks Dan for the information.

Thanks

To the top.

OMG, I had no idea. :( Thanks for pinning it to the top for those of us checking in.

Thanks so much. I will be there.

I hope to be able to get out of work in order to come up, but it's 50/50 at this point. Thanks for the information.

Updated with the link to the funeral home.

Thank you!

Thanks Dan.

Shoot, we will be heading up to the BWCA that day. I will paddle & portage in memory of Kanoes!

Thanks for the update.

Thanks Kip

Thanks Dan

Thanks

Paddle tip to Kanoes

I will be on my first trip of the year that day. I will have have a drink (lake water) and toast our BWCA.com brother.

R.I.P. Jan

I plan to be there.

Bump.

Wish I could go. Have to work. Thoughts will be with the family and BWCA.comers.

I plan on making it. I may still be in my work clothes, but I'll be there.

Adam, please don't delete this.

I just spotted this thread and am truly saddened. Jan might have been a quick wit, but he had a slow heart. Once he warmed to you, he didn't cool off. Despite my occasional bumps with him, I came to appreciate that and learned to respect him.

I have a small filet knife he sold me for next to nothing. I think of him when I use it, which is often. Now I'll not only think of him, but send a wish for his wife and children's healing.

If there is a hereafter, Jan will be there poking everyone who shows up, just to see what they're made of. Then he'll welcome them and be their dedicated friend.

quote mr.barley: "I plan on making it. I may still be in my work clothes, but I'll be there."

Wear your tripping clothes to work :)

quote TheOriginalKoda: "Adam, please don't delete this.

I just spotted this thread and am truly saddened. Jan might have been a quick wit, but he had a slow heart. Once he warmed to you, he didn't cool off. Despite my occasional bumps with him, I came to appreciate that and learned to respect him.

I have a small filet knife he sold me for next to nothing. I think of him when I use it, which is often. Now I'll not only think of him, but send a wish for his wife and children's healing.

If there is a hereafter, Jan will be there poking everyone who shows up, just to see what they're made of. Then he'll welcome them and be their dedicated friend."

That was very gracious and heartfelt Dave.

quote TheOriginalKoda: "Adam, please don't delete this.

I just spotted this thread and am truly saddened. Jan might have been a quick wit, but he had a slow heart. Once he warmed to you, he didn't cool off. Despite my occasional bumps with him, I came to appreciate that and learned to respect him.

I have a small filet knife he sold me for next to nothing. I think of him when I use it, which is often. Now I'll not only think of him, but send a wish for his wife and children's healing.

If there is a hereafter, Jan will be there poking everyone who shows up, just to see what they're made of. Then he'll welcome them and be their dedicated friend."

Good to hear from you again, Dave. Thanks for posting that memory of Jan. Means a lot to me and others here who were good friends of him to hear of all the acts of kindness Jan did for others.

I may not be able to attend the service for kanoes because there is a Memorial Service for a close friend of mine at the same time. I really hope I can attend both but they are 50 miles apart. I regret not being able to meet his family and spend time with other BWCA.com members celebrating his life and memory if I can't make it.

I always admired kanoes for going to Memorial services for BWCA.com members like Amok and others and sharing what they were like. I think he took off work to do this a few times. I remember the nice canoeing/portage pack display at Amok's service that kanoes took photos of. I believe it was very important for him to attend these services. That was very kind and thoughtful of him.

If it seems appropriate could someone take a few photos of any memorial displays that are there and post them here?

Thanks.

Unfortunately I can't swing taking time off of work tomorrow, mostly because I am taking time next week for our first overnight canoe trip of the year. I didn't know Jan well at all, especially compared to so many others here, but wanted to attend if I could.

I will be thinking of his family and all of his friends tomorrow.

And will definitely toast him next week when we are on our trip. He's the reason my daughter and I have our spiffy new flying moose knit hats, which we will be taking on our trip next week. I'll think of him every time I wear it. If he hadn't posted a picture of himself it in, we wouldn't have been able to purchase them.

quote Zulu: "I may not be able to attend the service for kanoes because there is a Memorial Service for a close friend of mine at the same time. I really hope I can attend both but they are 50 miles apart. I regret not being able to meet his family and spend time with other BWCA.com members celebrating his life and memory if I can't make it.

I always admired kanoes for going to Memorial services for BWCA.com members like Amok and others and sharing what they were like. I think he took off work to do this a few times. I remember the nice canoeing/portage pack display at Amok's service that kanoes took photos of. I believe it was very important for him to attend these services. That was very kind and thoughtful of him.

If it seems appropriate could someone take a few photos of any memorial displays that are there and post them here?

Thanks."

Will do, Pat!

Today a great man is being put to rest on earth. I am regrettably out of town, but will be with everyone in spirit.

There have been so many great things said about Jan. But in short words, this community would not be the same had it not been for Jan, and it won't be the same without him.

We will miss you on the site, in the chatroom, but most of all in person.

^^^ What Adam said. ^^^ Wish I could be there.

Wish I could have been there. RIP, Jan.

It was an amazing service, with chairs around the campfire and paddling gear lining the walls. The celebration MC wove a paddling narrative into the story of Jan's life and we all left with a polished rock to remember him with... plenty of tears were flowing, but plenty of laughter as well.

I didn't know Jan much outside this forum, but it's hard to imagine a more fitting celebration... and still hard to imagine he's gone.

So nice to put people's faces to their screen names. Sad that it was for an event such as this :( Tribute to Jan to see how many paddlers came out to pay our respects.

RIP kanoes

I wasn't able to stay for the service but did get to meet his wife and children. He leaves behind a wonderful family.
I liked the canoe, Zav paddles and campfire at the funeral home.
It was great to see so many BWCA.com members there. Some made a long journey to get there.

There was a very well done slide show featuring many photos of Jan and his family growing up. He had blonde hair then or he dyed it that way. I liked the photo of him holding his newborn baby. The photos showed the family side of Jan including his father. Also photos of friends over the years having fun. It helped me see a side of him other than a great outdoorsman and BWCA.com member.

I will miss him but his words will live on in me. I have always remembered his words of caution and safety on slippery portages. "You have to watch every step every time".

Rest in Peace kanoes.

BW and Patrick, thanks.

I was okay until the maps/books/packing list photo. Tears... then chuckled while picturing him scratching off each of the packing list items, one-by-one. You're ready for anything now, Jan.

what a wonderful display of remembrance! i'm sure his family is comforted knowing he has such thoughtful and sincere friends.

Best funeral ever. Jan would have loved it.

I talked to the lady who did the service as I was walking to my truck. She hoped nobody got offended when she swore while telling about Jan and Theresa's first canoe trip. I assured her that this crowd didn't offend that easily. Jan would have fallen off his chair laughing at the a**hole comment!

It was a glorious day and a wonderful celebration of life. Good to see a lot of fellow members there to share thoughts and memories. Driving up with Kip and butthead yesterday, I said that it really felt wrong to be headed to see Jan without gear in the trunk and canoes on the roof. But, after paying my final respects and making peace with it all....it felt right. Glad to share in your final portage my friend.

Thank you for sharing the photos and anecdotes. I was working in my backyard this morning and at 11:00 stopped and just looked up at the beautiful blue sky through the tree branches and reflected on what must have been going on at Jan's service. I was inspired to think of how much of God's beauty he had the experience to witness on his many trips. I wish that the thoughtful and beautiful setting and service you that attended have described to us bring a sense of peace and better understanding of Jan to his family and many friends.

This has been a sad and "different" experience for me. My daughter is a minister and I had a talk with her about how I have grieved over a fellow paddler I never met and wish that I had. It was agreed that modern technology has put us in situations like this that we never would have dreamed of years ago. I feel richer to have benefited from Jan's comments, wisdom, and wit over the years.

2 Corinthians 5
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

quote BWPaddler: "

"

Thanks for sharing these! Thought of Jan on our day trip to Kawishiwi falls today! Portage on.

Thanks for sharing and thanks to all of you that were able to make it there. I wish I could have been there.

I think it's pretty neat when the memories focus around canoe tripping. So often people refer to it as an obsession. To me it's just a sort of life style... it's who we are. Dena, Greg and now Jan's services all within 6 months and had quite a canoeing theme to them. As far as this web site not being the same without them is true to a point, but this site is full of great people. We'll miss Jan of course. He was a big part of a lot that has gone on here. But attending the services I've attended and the activities put on by fellow members I'm reminded there are many more people that make Bwca.com what it is just like our fallen members. A band of brothers and sisters that of which most care deeply about each other. I'll never forget Jan's compassion for his fellow paddlers. But Friday I saw this same compassion in so many others here. Thank you all for being who you are. It's an honor to be a part of this group. And Dave (koda) thanks, I enjoyed meeting you when I did. BWPaddler, was great to meet you in person. Adam, keep up the good work. Jan, we miss you and thank you for the times we had with you. Rest in peace brother!

Here are a couple of other pictures from the celebration of life for Jan. It was an impressive service.

Tony

this looks very nice and comforting. was there an intermittant rain shower? hardly a camping trip w/o rain.

quote Tony: "







Here is a couple of other pictures from the celebration of life for Jan. It was an impressive service.

Tony"

That was really neat and fitting thing that they did with the canoe, campfire and the maps and paddle. A very fitting tribute to Kanoes.
R.I.P. fellow paddler.

It was far and away the best tribute anyone could have...
It isn't in the photos, but I was particularly moved by a pair of his crocks, and some wool socks that were placed as though he just took them off for the night.
Rest well Jan!

quote mooseplums: "It was far and away the best tribute anyone could have...
It isn't in the photos, but I was particularly moved by a pair of his crocks, and some wool socks that were placed as though he just took them off for the night.
Rest well Jan!"

I think Tony's wife has a picture of the crocks. ....kinda got me too!

quote nctry: "I think it's pretty neat when the memories focus around canoe tripping. So often people refer to it as an obsession. To me it's just a sort of life style... it's who we are. Dena, Greg and now Jan's services all within 6 months and had quite a canoeing theme to them. As far as this web site not being the same without them is true to a point, but this site is full of great people. We'll miss Jan of course. He was a big part of a lot that has gone on here. But attending the services I've attended and the activities put on by fellow members I'm reminded there are many more people that make Bwca.com what it is just like our fallen members. A band of brothers and sisters that of which most care deeply about each other. I'll never forget Jan's compassion for his fellow paddlers. But Friday I saw this same compassion in so many others here. Thank you all for being who you are. It's an honor to be a part of this group. And Dave (koda) thanks, I enjoyed meeting you when I did. BWPaddler, was great to meet you in person. Adam, keep up the good work. Jan, we miss you and thank you for the times we had with you. Rest in peace brother!"

Good reflection. Thanks, Ben!

quote mooseplums: "It was far and away the best tribute anyone could have...
It isn't in the photos, but I was particularly moved by a pair of his crocks, and some wool socks that were placed as though he just took them off for the night.
Rest well Jan!"

Crocks?

quote nojobro: "Crocks?"

jan's dry camp shoes of choice. super lightweight comfort.

I have copied these photos and given them to my family with the instructions that this is what I want at my funeral.

What a fitting tribute to Kanoes.

such a wonderful way to celebrate his life... RIP Jan :)

quote nojobro: "

quote mooseplums: "It was far and away the best tribute anyone could have...
It isn't in the photos, but I was particularly moved by a pair of his crocks, and some wool socks that were placed as though he just took them off for the night.
Rest well Jan!"

Crocks?"

You KNOW Kanoes would've done it...

Sorry...link didn't work but right away I thought of Red Wings on his feet!

I'm stunned.
I haven't been on the site much in the last couple years. I signed on just now and saw this at the top. I'll miss Jan's wit and opinions. Always a good conversationalist.

I bought a tent from Jan a few years ago.
I'll always think of him when I use it from now on.

Yea, I've also been off the site for a while. When I logged back on a few days ago, I too was stunned.

I had no idea. Sad for the community.

Wow. I haven't been on in a while. I was quite shocked...

I never met Jan. I never really interacted with him much on the board. I knew the name and that was about it. But... I still feel a tremendous sense of loss and sadness.

RIP.