Brown's Cremation Service
John William Oien, age 78, died peacefully at home with daughters and wife by his side on March 7, 2022. John was a loving example of the importance of faith in Jesus to his family. John 10:27-28 are words he would strongly adhere too: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand."
John was born May 27, 1943, in Long Beach, California to Paul and Kathryn "Hoffman" Oien. He studied Landscape Architecture at California Polytechnic University graduating with a degree in Environmental Design with an option in Landscape Architecture.
During his 37-year career with the United States Forest Service, John worked on 9 forests in California, Nevada, Idaho, and Colorado, spending the last 24 years on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests. He provided technical support in landscape design, aesthetics, interpretation, forest planning, recreation facility planning and recreation budgeting. John was dedicated to preserving the National Forests while helping the public enjoy outdoor recreation. He was recognized for his service, including his participation in creating the Scenic Byway System in Colorado with a Congressional Record Tribute.
He met his love, Jenifer Bjelke and they married on June 5, 1976. They made their home in Idaho where they finished building the house John designed. They moved to Delta, Colorado in 1979.
John enjoyed family, school sports, church activities, singing and the Sons of Norway cooking club. He was an active member of the Lutheran Church. He believed what saved him is his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He loved spending time on hobbies including model building, photography, wood carving, needle crafts - crewel, wood working, gardening, stamp collecting, and genealogy.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Kathryn Oien; and is survived by wife Jenifer, daughters Julie (Mark) Orth, Janet Oien, and son Jens (Emily) Oien; and 6 grandchildren Elsa, Katherine, Jakob, Kari, Nicholas, and Soren; and brothers Wendell (Eileen) Oien and Keith (Kathleen) Oien; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A funeral service will be held on March 14th at 10am at Messiah Lutheran Church in Grand Junction, CO. A grave service will follow at Palisade Cemetery. In place of flowers, gifts may be given to Messiah Lutheran Church School.
LINKS
Delta County Independent
http://www.deltacountyindependent.com
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Obituaries
http://www.gjsentinel.com
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