Yvette Marie Rose Janssen

Yvette Marie Rose Janssen (née Haffner), aged 94, Lacey, WA. It is with great sadness that we four children of Yvette Janssen announce her passing in the early morning hours of April 3, 2018. Devoted and loving wife of Hans B. Janssen for more than 60 years, our mother lived a full and, at times, dramatic life. Born in Alsace, France, in 1923, her early years were marked by hardship: the untimely death of her own mother at a young age, the chaos of Nazi-occupied France during World War II, strict schooling at a convent in Switzerland-but also by adventure: an alleged dance with Clark Gable, a romance with a French officer POW, a post-war stint in Paris as governess to the descendants of Joan of Arc. After emigrating to America by steamship, Yvette settled in Ohio, where she met her future husband, a recent German immigrant who was finishing his medical training in the US. Married late in life, the couple had four children in five years, which occupied Yvette for the next 25 years, residing mostly in Sandusky, OH. Despite the demands of raising a large family, she was active in the Sodbusters Garden Club, various fundraising endeavors and cultural groups, and enjoyed gardening and nature. After reaching the empty nest stage of life, Yvette and Hans moved to Sun City West, AZ, where they enjoyed retirement, sun, and travel for more than 30 years. Finally, after suffering an injury while gardening, it was time to relocate to the Pacific Northwest to be close to her children. Despite a long and well-lived life, we will all miss her dearly and are profoundly thankful for the love she provided and compassion for others she instilled in all of us. And of course there was the food: her own curious fusion of French cuisine and 1960s Midwest fare. There is no better potato salad on the planet!Yvette is survived by her husband Hans Janssen of Lacey, WA, and four children: Claus Janssen (Teresa Healy) of Port Townsend, WA, Astrid Robertson of Lacey, WA, Ingrid Janssen (Ken Madden) of Olympia, WA, and Eric Janssen of New York, NY, as well as 12 lovely grandchildren spanning three decades: Kristine, Nicolaus, Lukas, Britta, Emilie, Olivia, Isabella, Taeus, Sophia, Sabine, Greta and Marco.Repose en paix, notre mère bien-aimée.