Janice Ione Bronsted was called home by the Lord on Nov. 5, 2026, at the age of 95.
Jan was born on Feb. 25, 1931, to Nels and Lillian Nelson. She was baptized, confirmed, and married at Clam Falls Lutheran Church, Wisconsin. It was while assisting with the Sunday School at her home church that she met Vicar Roger Bronsted. She and Roger were married on May 24, 1952, and their marriage was blessed with three children, Nathan, Rebecca, and Sara.
Over the years, Jan served alongside her husband at parishes in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. She also served as a second-grade teacher at Redford/Zurstadt Lutheran School in Detroit for over 30 years.
Jan became a member of Historic Trinity Lutheran Church in 1988. She was a member of the Historic Trinity Cathedral Choir for many years and enjoyed designing and sewing banners and costumes for the Christmas Living Nativity and Lent/Easter pageants. Jan was also a member of the Valparaiso University Guild and served as President of the Women’s Guild at Historic Trinity. She also served as President of the Council of Lutheran Women for the Detroit Area from 2010–2014.
Jan was preceded in death by her beloved husband, the Rev. Roger L. Bronsted; her loving parents, Nels and Lillian Nelson; her sister and brother-in-law, Carol and Dennis Bohn; and her brother-in-law, Thomas Bronsted.
She leaves behind a loving family to cherish her memory, including her children, Nathan (Laura) Bronsted, Rebecca Bronsted, and Sara (Bill) Chew; her grandchildren, Steven (Samantha) Bronsted, Stephany Bronsted, Aaron (Breanna) Chew, Danielle (Philip) O’Kennedy, and Peter Chew; her precious great-grandchildren, Brinley, Benjamin, and Brooks Bronsted, and Leyton, Sadie, and Mia Chew; and her dear sister-in-law, Diane Bronsted.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, from 3 to 7 p.m., at Harry J. Will Funeral Homes, 37000 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia, Michigan 48152.
A visitation will also take place on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Historic Trinity Lutheran Church, 1345 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, MI 48207, followed by a funeral service beginning at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Historic Trinity Lutheran Church or Concordia Seminary St. Louis in Jan’s memory.
