Visitation:
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, November 18, 2021 at
Holland Barry & Bennett Funeral Home.
Service:
11 a.m. Friday, November 19, 2021 at First
Presbyterian Church, Lincoln
Funeral home: Holland Barry & Bennett Funeral
Home
Obituary
Janet Ulrich died peacefully on
Saturday, Nov. 13th after a long life of remarkable
good fortune. Until the end, she was curious about
every person who helped her make it through the day.
She was quick to tell them how much she appreciated
them, and after asking them about their story, she
always encouraged their best aspirations.
Janet’s story is testament to the kindness of
strangers. She was orphaned and managed to cross the
entire U.S., alone, at age 11, in order to get to a
long lost aunt whose return address she’d found on
an envelope. They cared for her as if she was their
own and encouraged her to become a nurse. During
nursing school she met the love of her life, a young
resident physician, Dr. Edward Ulrich.
The young professional couple married and moved to
Lincoln in 1963 where Janet made sure they put down
roots in almost every aspect of our community. They
raised three children, and a number of her beloved
dachshunds. Janet was deeply involved in all manner
of the kids’ sports teams and school activities,
along with local organizations involving the arts,
and events that supported the good work of Lincoln’s
medical community.
Because of her unusual childhood, she was fearless
in her optimism about the world. She never met a
stranger and Janet made sure that she and Doc Ulrich
traveled widely abroad. Many of their trips involved
cultural exchange programs where they stayed in the
homes of people who did not speak a word of English.
Janet was the kind who would ask to ride outside on
the front “cattle catcher” part of the train engine
of the Orient Express, as it crossed Mongolia. When
they told her that they would not stop to bring them
back inside the train for 6 hours, she was
undaunted. No problem. Janet was a “make it work”
kind of person. |
In her daily life, she was a great homemaker; as comfortable
canning pickles and freezing truckloads of corn, as she was hosting frequent
cocktail and dinner parties. She made it possible for the whole family to camp,
almost every weekend, with countless amazing friends, at a rustic farm north of
Lincoln.
In the last 22 years, since her husband’s death, she continued to travel the
world, has been active in her grandkid’s lives, and enjoyed her lifelong friends
here in Lincoln.
She is survived by her daughter Dr. Lynda (and her husband, Dr. Chuck Verderber)
Ulrich, son Alex (and his wife,Katie) Ulrich, and daughter Dr. Betsy (whose
husband is Ron Tomczak) Ulrich and Janet had seven grandchildren: Liesl, Louisa,
and Jens Ulrich-Verderber; AJ and Charlotte Ulrich; and Diane and Warren Ulrich-Tomczak.
Visitation will be from 5-7 PM Thursday, November 18, 2021 at Holland Barry &
Bennett Funeral Home. Funeral services will be at 11 AM Friday, November 19,
2021 at First Presbyterian Church, Lincoln with Pastor Adam Quine officiating.
Burial will follow in Old Union Cemetery. Due to CDC recommendations, proper
social distancing and mask wearing is requested.
Memorial donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church, Lincoln or to 2x4’s
for Hope and will be accepted at the funeral home.
Click here to send a note of condolence to the family of Janet Ulrich
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