Center Sandwich – In loving memory of Janet C. Burnell (of Ctr. Sandwich, NH) who peacefully passed away on November 2nd of natural causes at the age of 87. Janet was born on January 15, 1931 in Manchester, NH to Helen and William John.
She lived in Manchester and attended Manchester Central High. As a youth, Janet and her parents stayed every summer at their cottage on Lake Wicwas in Meredith, where she enjoyed working at the local horse stables. There she learned to ride and then helped teach horseback riding.
She also enjoyed Life Guarding at Waukewan Beach. Janet attended UNH and was very proud to be one of the first two women to graduate from the School of Horticulture. While attending college, Janet started her own small business making flower corsages.
One of her customers was Ivan Burnell of Dover, NH and Brooklyn, NY. They married in 1951. After graduating UNH, Janet and Ivan moved to Huntsville Alabama where Ivan worked for NASA and Janet was a Cub Scout Leader.
They then moved to Cape Canaveral for the beginning of the Space Program with the original 7 Astronauts. During this exciting time Janet was busy raising their 5 children, yet she still found time to work as a part-time police women for the Cape Canaveral Police Department. They moved to Rhode Island in 1966 where Janet worked as a cook at a dockside clam shack during the America Cup races.
They then moved to Ctr. Sandwich, NH in 1970. There Janet and Ivan started Valley View Farm, a family bakery business delivering quality homemade food goods throughout the Lakes Region.
After Valley View Farm, Janet went to work for the Corner House Inn in Sandwich where she became legendary for “Jan’s Soup of the Day”. In her retirement years, Janet was able to enjoy her passions of flower and vegetable gardening, swimming in Squam Lake and sitting on her porch during the evenings; enjoying the sights and sounds of the abundant nature that surrounded her on beautiful Red Hill. Janet is survived by her 5 loving children: Charles Burnell with his wife Suzanne, Lafayette, Colorado, Karen Burnell with her companion Mircea, Center Ossipee, NH, William Burnell with his wife Patricia, Strafford, NH, Daniel Burnell, Sandwich NH, Christopher Burnell with his wife Jenny, Sandwich, NH.
Janet also has 7 Grandchildren and 4 Great Grandchildren: Jesse Mahoney with his wife Gwen, and their children, Macy, Griffin and Declan, Julia and her husband Hernan Anjelica Young and her husband David, Alex Rusu, Benjamin Burnell and his wife Heather and their child Theodore. Nathan Burnell and fiancé Jayme Frederick Alan Burnell Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, November 17th at St. Andrew’s in-the-Valley, Tamworth. NH.
Time of service is 11am, with a reception and fellowship following the service at the Church. A graveside service will be held on the same day at 2:30 in Sandwich NH, where her ashes will be buried at the Rural Cemetery on Church Street.
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