Janet O'Brien Buhler

Janet(88) died peacefully in her home just a few weeks shy of her 89th birthday.  There is much to be said on Janet’s 88 years on earth. She was born in Chicago to  Tom O’Brien and Margaret Goebel O’Brien.  Janet loved being a city girl and grew up with relatives that she described as “vaudeville types, artists, photographers and comedians” Her cousin was the host of ‘The George Goebel Show” and her Uncle was an illustrator for the Saturday Evening Post.  Eventually they moved to LaCrosse Wisconsin, where she graduated from high school. She was encouraged by her parents to seek an education and received her Bachelors of Dental Hygiene from Northwestern University in Chicago. While at school, she met her future husband Ronald Buhler on a blind date. They were married in 1955 and had nearly 67 wonderful years together raising their 4 children.  Janet supported her husband through his last year in dental school and then continued to work as a hygienist in their dental office throughout their careers.  Janet was lively, intelligent, and had a quick wit and a wicked sense of humor.  She could entertain you with any story and especially loved reading to her grandkids, voicing the many roles in a book herself.  They were usually scary stories that gave everyone nightmares.  She excelled in her  many church callings and was beloved as a young women’s leader.  Janet and Ronald traveled the world together going to many different countries around the world.  She often asked for recipes that she liked on trips and would then make them to share with her own family at home.  She was well known for her love of animals, especially her cats. She became famous for her British Shorthairs , earning the prize of Best Cat in the Nation at a national cat show.  Even Hollywood couldn’t resist her magnetic pull or her cats and her beloved animals were featured in “Pet  Sematary” The live action version of “Inspector Gadget” and “Cats and Dogs”.  She also sold a cat to the singing group “The Temptations” and they would send her tickets and a letter every time they came to town.  She is survived by her 4 children Ann(Gerardo), William(Teri), Carol (Jeff) and Janice(Michael), nineteen grandchildren and 42 great grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Patricia Alvord, her husband Ronald Buhler and 2 grandchildren: Jack O’Brien Daines and Allyson Lynn Croff.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Janet O'Brien Buhler, please visit our floral store.