Jānis Čuriskis

Jānis Čuriskis, age 80, of Belle Plaine, died peacefully on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at The Geneva Suites assisted living facility in Edina.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Pastor Ilze Larsen will officiate. Interment will follow in the Lakewood Cemetery Columbarium in Minneapolis. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church.

To leave an online condolence for Janis’s family or to sign the guestbook, please visit mvfh.org.

Janis is survived by his wife Dr. Nanette Johnson-Curiskis of Belle Plaine, his children Erika (Kyle) Corio of St. Louis Park and Anna (Sasha) Komarenko of Minneapolis, his nephew Janci (Sara) Curiskis of Minneapolis, his niece Anja (Lois) Curiskis of Minneapolis, and his sister-in-law Elizabeth Curiskis of Minneapolis.

He was preceded in death by his parents Dr. ādolfs and Milija (Vigants) Curiskis, and his brother Juris Curiskis.

Janis was born on June 10, 1946, in Bad Wörishofen, Germany, to Dr. ādolfs and Milija (Vigants) Curiskis. During World War II, his family fled the Russian invasion and made their way to Germany, where they lived in Bad Wörishofen, a displaced persons’ and refugee camp. The family spent approximately nine years in the camp, where Janis was born in 1946. In 1950, the family emigrated to North Dakota.

Janis graduated from high school in Elgin, North Dakota, in 1964. He attended North Dakota State University, earning a bachelor’s degree with a major in mathematics and minors in physical education and psychology. He later earned a Master of Science degree, majoring in school administration with a minor in foundations of education. In 1981, he earned a sixth-year degree in school administration from Winona State University.

Throughout his career in education, Janis taught mathematics to students in grades 7 through 12 and served as head basketball and track coach at Hope Public Schools in Hope, North Dakota, and Big Horn High School in Big Horn, Wyoming. In later years, he served as a secondary school principal at Harmony Area Schools in Harmony, Minnesota, and Le Center Public Schools in Le Center, Minnesota. One of his final teaching positions was as a mathematics teacher at Dunwoody Institute, where he taught before retiring from education in 2001.

After retiring from education, Janis worked as a cashier supervisor at Mystic Lake Casino. With his mathematics background, he found the work enjoyable and appreciated the opportunity to continue using his skills in a different setting.

Janis was united in marriage to Dr. Nanette Johnson-Curiskis on July 17, 1982, at his mother’s garden in Maple Plain. They were surrounded by acres of blooming flowers.

Janis was an avid collector of many things, including baseball cards and memorabilia, and coins and stamp. He took great pride in his collections and was known for keeping everything neat, organized, and carefully labeled.

Janis was very proud of his Latvian heritage. He and Nanette shared this passion by importing and selling handmade leather goods from Latvia.

Janis will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing, working with, and loving him.

Blessed be his memory.