Janet Nelson Wild Cordes passed away peacefully at Manistee County Medical Care Facility on February 5th, 2022, surrounded by her children.

Janet was born in Bay City, Michigan to Helen Oliver and J. Harry Nelson on March 14, 1934. She was graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Music Education. She moved to Manistee in 1960.

Jan was a teacher. She sang and taught music all her life. The only thing she loved more than music was children. While raising seven children she went back to further her education and then taught preschool at Trinity Lutheran in Manistee for seventeen years. She remembered each one of her students and would seek them out as she went about town.

Jan was proud to be a member of the Manistee Community Choral Society for over fifty years. She is remembered for the many times she sang the soprano aria, "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth" from Handel's Messiah. She was a volunteer for the Salvation Army and enjoyed the ministry.

Jan was a true Christian and unconditional love guided her life. Her family was a wonderful, colorful bouquet of different races, genders, sexual identities and abilities whom she loved equally — unconditionally — and they loved her back. She looked for and found the best in everyone.

She is survived by her husband, Rev. Darowin E. Cordes; children, Daniel (Kelly) Cordes, Leah Cordes, Karen Wild-Brown, Rev. Jani (Deb) Wild, Susan (Jamey) Barnard, Nelson Wild, David (Lulu) Wild; twenty grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. She was preceded in death just last year by her "favorite" son-in-law, Timothy Glyn Brown.

Visitation will be held on Friday, February 11th from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Oak Grove Funeral Home in Manistee. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 12th at 1:00 PM at Trinity Lutheran Church, with Pastor Dennis Rahn officiating. Out of respect for the family and health care workers masks will be required.

Jan will be remembered by the fine example she set for us and laid to rest in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Manistee.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Trinity Lutheran Church Preschool.

Please feel free to share a memory or photo with the family at www.oakgrovefh.com. The family has entrusted funeral arrangements with Oak Grove Funeral Home & Cremation Center of Manistee.