Jenese Busch

The Mass of Christian Burial for Jenese Dawn Busch, known to many in the area as "Wendy Ward" director at Randhurst, a former longtime resident of Mount Prospect, will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, September 22, at St. Anne Church, 120 Ela St. (at the corner of Franklin St.), Barrington, where she will lie in state from 9 a.m. until the time of Mass. Father Tom Bishop will officiate. Burial will be in Ridgewood Cemetery, Des Plaines. Visitation will be from 5-9 p.m., Monday, September 21, at the Davenport Family Funeral Home, 149 W. Main St. (Lake-Cook Road), Barrington. Born September 3, 1929, in Eau Claire, Wisc., she passed away Sunday, September 13, 2009, at her home. Jenese grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and graduated from Eau Claire High School. She went on to obtain a nursing degree at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she was named the University?s "Badger Beauty" and was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority. She did her nurses? training at the University of Chicago Hospital in Hyde Park, were she met her husband Raymond Busch (who served as Legal Counsel for the University of Chicago for many years) Jenese and Ray raised four daughters and lived for many years in Mount Prospect. Jenese was also a professional model and narrator for many years. In the 70?s, Jenese took on the role as "Wendy Ward" charm and modeling school director for Montgomery Ward, in Randhurst, and also was the fashion coordinator for Randhurst for many years, coordinating fashion shows and many promotional activities for Randhurst. She later became an Interior Designer, and obtained her Associates Degree from the International Academy of Design in Chicago. Jenese opened her own business, and served many residential and business clients in Chicago area over the course of her design career. She was a member of ISID. Most recently, Jenese had turned her creative talents to writing, setting down to write the story of her life and her relationship with her father, who she adored and was a central figure in her life. After years of hard effort, Jenese recently completed this longtime dream, publishing an autobiography called "My Father?s Daughter". Jenese had a strong passion and devotion for stray animals, and over the years worked with a number of communities and shelters, helping to find homes for hundreds of stray dogs and cats. She served as a vice president for Save-A-Pet, in Grayslake, and also ran her own charitable foundation, "Helpless and Homeless". Most recently, Jenese and Ray donated a beautiful wooded ravine property in Barrington Hills to the Barrington Hills Nature Conservancy to be used as a private wildlife preserve. Jenese?s other passion was for travel, and she and Ray traveled extensively to all corners of the world. Survivors include her children, Nancy Rae (Franco) Laterza of Barrington Hills, and Susan Dawn (Michael) Marsico of Roswell, Georgia, and Debby Lee (Gary) Cooper of Cincinnati,; and grandchildren, Frankie, Jackson, Danielle, Joseph, Melisa, Mathew (Colleen), Amanda, and Greggory. Mrs. Busch was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond William Busch; daughter, Darcy Blair Lukemeyer; and parents, Jack and Gladys (nee Platte) Mondschine. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Mrs. Busch?s name may be made to Save-A-Pet, 31664 N. Fairfield Rd., Grayslake, IL 60030 or www.save-a-pet-il.org.

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