Elizabeth (“Lies”) Degens Jansen, 90, died peacefully in her home, on Thursday, January 24, 2019.
She is survived by her children, Erica (Randy), Michael (Annekee), Carolyn, Mark (Cindy), and Dominic (Monique). Elizabeth will also be remembered fondly by her twelve grandchildren Janica, Kristin, Natasha, Nicole, David, Stephanie, Michael, Sam, Nina, Jessie, Bo & Finn, and her five great-grandchildren.
Elizabeth was born and raised in Amsterdam. In 1950, she immigrated to Australia, where she met her future husband, John Jansen, and together raised five children. The family immigrated to California in 1968 and settled in Santa Rosa. Elizabeth was an RN in each country in which she resided, and retired from Warrack Hospital in Santa Rosa in 1990. The last 18 years of her life were spent in Cloverdale, close to three of her children.
Other than spending time with her family, her favorite activity was sewing, and after retirement, she focused her sewing skills on quilting. She was an avid quilter, producing so many beautiful quilts that there are ample to keep her family warm for generations. Her other love was books. According to her, there was always room for more books, so any outing that involved a bookstore was cherished. Periodic trips back to Amsterdam to visit two of her sons was also very important to her. She loved Amsterdam.
Her daily walks through downtown Cloverdale became the highlight of her day in her later years, and a walk was never complete without a stop at Plank Coffee for coffee and a cookie. The friends she made there, especially in the past year, became a very special part of her life.
It may very well have been the selfless giving of herself during her career of helping others as a registered nurse around the world that brought Elizabeth the amazing care she received the last few months of her own life. We, her family, wish to express our gratitude to all the caring and incredibly dedicated caregivers whose amazing care will never be forgotten. Thank You!
A private memorial service will be held for family members. Her internment will be at Calvary Cemetery in Santa Rosa.
