Jamie Bjornsen
Jamie Marie Bjornsen, 59, of Lansing died Saturday, August 11, 2018 at Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, WI. A Celebration of Life was held Thursday, August 16 at Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home, Lansing.
Jamie Marie Scholtes was born June 7, 1959, the fifth child of James and Kathleen Scholtes. As a child, she enjoyed sewing. She liked clothes, but she didn’t like sharing them, especially with her sisters. Some of the favorite memories of her as a child include when she flipped over her handlebars while riding to the swimming pool, making rubber mats out of tires with her siblings, the time when her siblings hid from her in the corn fields and when she passed out on her mom in the kitchen. She also slid over her younger brother on a plastic sled.
She graduated from Kee High School in 1977 and went to Patricia Steven’s etiquette school in Milwaukee, WI. Jamie bought her first car, a 1980 Dodge Omni, and we nicknamed it the elephant turd and it had a red tennis ball at the top of the antenna so we could see her coming in a snow drift.
She was a Jane of all trades. Jamie was an amazing photographer and did her Pixie photo days. She traveled and sold aerial photos, worked in catering, raised sheep and had a Rainbow vacuum cleaner business. Jamie was a great cook, and baked and sold carrot cake, French apple pie, chocolate cake and amazing caramel. She enjoyed listening to Michael Tyrrell, Burning Man, Neil Diamond, Simon & Garfunkel, Billy Joel, jazz music and whole tones healing frequency.
Jamie was united in marriage with Joe Bjornsen in 1983. They enjoyed cooking together and loved adventure. Together they used to make rubber mats out of used tires and raise rabbits. One summer they also grew cucumbers. In the late 90s, Jamie started and operated an organic apple orchard. She enjoyed when her mom, Kay, and Uncle Leo would visit and shine the apples. She even started her own shop that she would open every fall. In her spare time (we don’t know where she found the time), she enjoyed mowing the lawn.
Some of her favorite people called her Aunt Jamie. She enjoyed taking her nephews to Wisconsin Dells and hosting girl’s nights. Together the girls watched classic romance movies including “Gone with the Wind”, “Singing in the Rain”, and “Doctor Zhivago”. There were always lots of goodies at girl’s night.
Most importantly, Jamie was one of the most giving people. She was always personable and wanted to know the name of the server whenever she went out to eat. There was always a pot of coffee on and some sort of treat to share whenever someone stopped at her home. Jamie liked to sit in her backyard on the Fourth of July to watch fireworks and always invited family to join her for s’mores and hot dogs. Her hugs were so strong, sometimes you thought she would burst your ribcage - in a good way. Jamie will be missed dearly and so will her hugs.
Jamie is survived by her step-father, Rodney Olson of Lansing; four siblings, Jeanette Scholtes, Thomas (Donna) Scholtes, Steven (Patty) Scholtes and Christine (Larry) Griffith; and a special friend, Tim Gage.
Jamie was preceded in death by her husband, Joe; her parents, James and Kathleen Scholtes; and her sisters, June and Genevieve.
Thornburg-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Lansing assisted the family with arrangements.
