ASHLAND – Janet Lynn Achberger, 71, of Ashland, passed away on Tuesday evening Dec. 8, 2020, in the LifeCare Hospice Gault Inpatient Unit. She was revered by her family and friends for her courage and stamina for dealing with her colon cancer for 13 years.
Janet was born in Kane, Pa., the daughter of the late Walter and Evelyn (Weborg) Deitrick. After the family relocated to Ohio, she graduated from Mount Vernon High School. She attended Kent State University, where she received her bachelor’s in education. Janet was an elementary teacher in the Mount Vernon- and Galion School Districts. In 1993, she and her family relocated to the Ashland area.
Janet was a faithful member of the Christ United Methodist church of Ashland, where she was a Sunday School teacher and treasurer for the United Methodist Women. She enjoyed gardening and traveling — especially to Lakeside, Ohio; Gettysburg; Michigan’s Upper Peninsula; New England; the West Coast; Toronto, Canada; and Sweden. Most of all, Janet had fond memories of a West Virginia family reunion during Christmastime of 2019.
She is survived by her husband, William “Bill” Achberger, whom she married on June 28, 1975; daughter, Susan Achberger of Cleveland Heights; and brother, James Deitrick of Austin, Texas.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 14, in the Denbow-Gasche Funeral Home. For those unable to attend, the service will be livestreamed, then available on the funeral home’s Facebook page. Burial will be in the Grand Prairie Cemetery near Marion, Ohio.
In lieu of flowers, the family recommends giving a donation in Janet’s memory to the Ashland County Cancer Association, 1011 E. Main St., Ashland, OH 44805; or to the Ashland County Dog Shelter, 1710 Garfield Ave., Ashland, OH 44805.
Expressions of sympathy may be left for the family by visiting the funeral home’s website at denbowfh.com.
Denbow-Gasche Funeral Home and Crematory is handling the arrangements.
