Jannis A. Emanuelson

Jannis A. (McElroy) Emanuelson, 95, died October 18, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona, after a brief illness, with family by her bedside.

Born January 9, 1931, in Zion, Illinois, she remained in her hometown, where she attended Zion-Benton Township High School and met her husband, Glenn Emanuelson. Jannis was a server at Rooks Restaurant, where they first met. They were married on Valentine’s Day in 1951 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, by Reverend Love and honeymooned in the Keys. Jannis was a homemaker and mother to five children.

She and Glenn poured their hearts into entrepreneurship, opening the Emanuelson Inn in 1979. As innkeepers they also opened the area’s first tanning salon and later introduced horse-and-carriage rides, which the city of Zion appreciated. They devoted many years to the business before retiring to northern Door County in 1995. Glenn’s passing in 2007 marked 56 years of marriage. Their Door County home held many family memories, especially for the grandchildren who visited often. Many will remember the lone table and chairs they placed in the front field—it drew artists, photographers, and the occasional newlyweds for photo shoots.

Jannis and Glenn were members of Christ Community Church of Zion while they lived there and after moving to Door County they attended Bethel Baptist Church in Ellison Bay. Jannis often spoke of her gratitude for the way the people of Bethel Baptist came to her aid after Glenn’s passing. Jannis later reconnected with a high-school acquaintance, Stanley Hudson. Stan, who was widowed, also had raised five children. They committed themselves to each other in a church marriage, beginning a new chapter. For eighteen years they snow-birded between Door County and Tucson, Arizona, traveling and supporting one another as they grew older. Jannis also spent treasured time near her hometown each year with friends and family.

The sale of her Door County home in 2021 changed the routine; she then resided in Arizona with annual visits to David and Shannon’s home in Pleasant Prairie, WI (near Zion). Those visits were always wonderful—friends gathered for Saturday morning breakfast, followed by serious card games and even sleepovers with her twin sister, Jeanne DeGraw.

She is survived by her husband of 18 years, Stan Hudson; her twin sister, Jeanne (McElroy) DeGraw; three sons: Gary (Shavon) of Pleasant Prairie, WI, Lonny (Susan) of Baileys Harbor, WI, and David (Shannon) of Pleasant Prairie, WI; two daughters: Linda DiIanni-Emanuelson of Eagle River, WI, and Gloria of Scottsdale, AZ; ten grandchildren: Sharri (Robert) Stengele, Jonathan (Lauren), Christine (Kevin) Pinter, Hans (Rachel), Erik (Cecelia), Robbie LeClair, Jennifer LeClair, Dominic DiIanni, Glenn, and Elizabeth; and ten great-grandchildren: Makayla, Brooke, Liesl, Evelyn, Ethan, Thobani, Titus, Elsa, Parker, and Alice.

Jannis was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Glenn Emanuelson (April 27, 2007); her parents, David and Ruth McElroy; her sister, Gloria Robinson; and great-grandson Owen.

Visitation will be held Monday November 2, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at Christ Community Church in Zion, 2500 Dowie Memorial Dr, Zion, IL, followed by a memorial service at 11:00 a.m., with a luncheon served afterward in the fellowship hall. Her burial will be in Rowley’s Bay Cemetery next to Glenn the following day surrounded by immediate family.