Janet Louise Engen

Janet L. Engen age 84 of Detroit Lakes, MN died January 15, 2023 at Ecumen – Emmanuel Nursing Home in Detroit Lakes.

Janet Louise Engen was born August 13, 1938 in Yankton, SD to Noble and Mildred (Olson) White. She grew up on a farm near Volin, SD. She attended school in Volin, graduating from Volin High School. She then attended Mount Mary College in Yankton where she studied to become a Radiology Technician. In 1958 she was hired by the Hospital in Appleton, WI, where she worked for two years. It was there that she would meet Barb Radtke and Joan Otto, who would become lifelong friends to Janet. On October 15, 1960 she was united in marriage to Donald Engen at the Vangen Lutheran Church in Mission Hill, SD. In the first years of their marriage, they lived in various towns in SD and MN. In 1966 they moved to Wahpeton, ND, where they raised their family and Jan worked for Merit Care Clinic in Wahpeton for many years before retiring.  Following their retirement, they moved to Detroit Lakes to be closer to family and to follow their grandchildren in their various activities and sporting events.

Janet was a selfless, kind, giving person, who lived her life with undying faith.

She is survived by one daughter, Denise Lyngaas, of Detroit Lakes, MN; four grandchildren, Bennett (Kelli) Strege, of Fargo, ND; Jackson (Jess) Lyngaas, of Hawley, MN; Trey Lyngaas, of Detroit Lakes, MN; and Molly Lyngaas, of LaCrosse, WI; one great grandson, Asher Strege (who shares the same birthday with his great grandmother); one brother, Jim White, of Parker, SD; two sisters, Wanda (Larry) Freng, of Sioux Falls, SD, and Gwendy (Rick) Sorensen, of Apple Valley, MN; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald; two sons, Richard Engen and Jon Engen; one sister, Phyllis Freng; two brothers, Charles “Bud” White and William “Bill” White; and her parents.

Funeral Services will be on Tuesday January 24, 2023; 11:00 a.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Detroit Lakes, MN. Visitation will be on Monday from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the West-Kjos Funeral Home in Detroit Lakes, with a prayer service at 6:30 p.m. Interment will be in the Oak Grove Cemetery, Detroit Lakes in the spring.