Jewel "Jo" Lanning

Jo Lanning led a life of sacrifice, devoting herself to her family and asking nothing for herself. All she wanted was for her children to grow into good, honest people, and she was so proud that they did so. Energetic and outgoing, Jo also made friends easily, and was always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need. Her dedication, spirit, and kindness will live on in the hearts of all those whose lives she touched, both as a cherished memory and a source of inspiration in the years to come.

The 1930s were in many ways a somber decade, sandwiched between the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and World War II. For proud parents Arnold and Evelyn (Haner) Tygesen, however, these difficult years were brightened by the birth of their daughter, Jewell. Jewell, or “Jo” as she came to be called, was born on October 31, 1933, and shared her birth year with the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as president, the end of prohibition, and the first alleged sighting of the Loch Ness monster.

The Tygesen family made their home in Wyoming, Michigan, where Jo grew up with her three younger siblings, Diane, Gaylord, and Darwin. She attended the local elementary school, and graduated from Wyoming Park High School in 1950.

Jo met the man who would be the love of her life, Elmer “Al” Lanning, while working at Russ’ Drug Store. The young couple dated for two years, and then Al proposed. Jo’s parents gave their permission for the marriage, in the hopes that “Al would no longer hang out at their home all the time.” Jo and Al were married at Griggs St. Church on August 18, 1951.

The newlyweds settled down in an apartment above Al’s family restaurant, Lanning’s Restaurant. They lived above the restaurant for four years, and then moved to North Park. As the years went by, Jo and Al were blessed with five children, whom they named Rick, Randy, Rod, Rory, and Renee. Jo was a “true 1950s housewife,” but also worked the lunch shift at the restaurant. She would become the iconic hostess at Lanning’s, working behind the counter for more than 50 years. As a young mother, Jo’s days consisted of getting the kids to school, working at the restaurant, and getting back home before the kids returned from school. No matter how busy life became, however, Jo always made sure that the whole family sat done for a meal together at night. Jo was a very involved mother, and attended all of the kids’ events.

In their free time, Jo and Al loved to take the kids camping. They would all pile into the back of the restaurant catering truck (no windows), and head off to destinations including Canada, Niagara Falls, and the Upper Peninsula. On one memorable trip, Jo was sleeping in the back while Al was driving. When they pulled over for gas, Jo slipped out to buy some milk, unbeknownst to Al. Al took off, leaving Jo behind, and soon found himself being signaled to pull over by a state trooper. Al initially refused (in his mind, he had done nothing wrong), but eventually pulled over. When the state trooper asked him if he was missing anything, Al replied with a puzzled “no,” still not realizing that Jo wasn’t in the back!

Jo was a social butterfly, and regularly got together with the neighbors for coffee. She also loved to talk on the phone. In fact, when the kids were young they often chose to use the payphone at the end of the street instead of waiting for their mother to get off the phone! Around the house, Jo always seemed to be cooking something, and also enjoyed quilting and crocheting. Each year, she canned peaches, jam, and applesauce, and the whole family looked forward to her Christmas goulash. Education was important to both Al and Jo, and they made sure that each one of the children received a college education.

Sadly, Jo’s beloved husband Al passed away in January of 2007. Although this was a difficult time for Jo, she drew comfort from the support of her family and friends. She adored being a grandmother, and was loyal fan at all the grandkids’ events. Jo was extremely proud of her grandchildren, taking every opportunity to show them off, and was very happy that they all got along so well.

In recent years, Jo became close to family friend Jim Anderson, whose wife had also passed away. Jo often accompanied Jim to his Air Force reunions, and they enjoyed camping together in the UP. This year, Jo celebrated her 80th birthday with a big party. She was thrilled that so many friends and family members made the event, and loved being the center of attention.

Energetic and spunky, social and outgoing, Jo was a devoted wife, a loving mother and grandmother, and a loyal friend. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her many friends and family members.

Jewel “Jo” Lanning died on December 16, 2013, at the age of 80. She was preceded in death by her husband, Al; and her sister, Diane Mikita. Jo’s family includes her children, Rick Lanning, Randy (Theresa) Lanning, Rod (Chris) Lanning, Rory (Deb) Lanning, and Renee (Guy) Landon; her grandchildren, James (Stacey), Jeffrey, Jared (Becky), Sam, Morgan, Sara, Scott, Ben, Joey, and Boone; her special friend, Jim Anderson; her brothers, Gaylord (Marge) Tygeson and Darwin Tygeson; and her brother-in-law, Fred Mikita.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, December 23, at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, 2120 Lake Michigan Drive NW. The family will receive visitors from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Christian Rest Home. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to read Jo’s life story, archive a memory or photo, or sign the guestbook online.