Janice Leona (Lee) Schiller

Janice Leona (Lee) Schiller, age 85, of White Bear Lake, passed away November 30, 2023. Janice was born on July 16, 1938 in Gowrie, Iowa to Roger and Leona Buscho. She was the eldest of four daughters who were orphaned (Janice at the age of 10) when both parents were killed in an automobile accident. Janice and her three siblings were separated at the time of their parents death and Janice was primarily raised by her paternal grandparents Chief of Police Edward and Grace Buscho.

Janice graduated from Blue Earth high school and was married shortly thereafter to Marvin Swedzinski. She devoted her 20 years of married life as a homemaker, and mother to their six children before divorcing. As a single parent, Janice pursued an education as a Photo Retoucher and was associated with The Minnesota Professional Photographers Association, attaining the Gold Seal Award.

Janice later remarried Clarence Schiller of St. Paul and assisted him in their joint business endeavors (Schiller’s Grocery, The Energy Shed, Accent Lamps). Later, Janice received additional training at a Vocational Institute and obtained her residential real estate license, later working for Merrill Lynch Realty.

Janice’s central passion was her family, whether immediate or extended. In her 30s, she found faith in the One Who Was, and Is, and Is to Come, and Whom became a guiding factor the rest of her life. She was an avid book reader, and enjoyed expressing her creative side through cooking/baking and entertaining family and friends. She enjoyed the arts, and took pleasure in painting. She especially enjoyed interior decorating, and crafts. She had a lifelong dedication in supporting various agencies assisting in animal rescue and care.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Clarence; sisters, Virginia, Lana, and Jeanne; stepchildren, Kay and Timothy; and step son-in-law, Dennis. She is survived by her six children, Roger (Stacey) Swedzinski, Brad (Lynn) Swedzinski, Kimberlee (Jim) Houle, Laura Vallejos, Dean Swedzinski, Daniel Swedzinski; stepchildren, Ann Kester, and Mark Schiller; Janice also has 18 grandchildren,18 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren.