John Oien

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 during the War of the Pacific - WWII on May 27, 1943 in Long Beach, California the son of Paul and Kathryn “Hoffman” Oien.  He spent his youth in Southern California, graduating from Paramount High School in 1961.  During his senior year he was awarded first prize in the industrial arts competition for his pentagon house plans.  He studied Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Arizona State University and California Polytechnic University graduating in 1968 with a B.S. 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 his 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.  A few highlights for John were attending the International Association of Landscapes Architects assembly in Lisbon, Portugal as a Forest Service representative and completing the National Forest Recreation Short Course at Clemson University.  John was dedicated to preserving the National Forests while helping the public enjoy outdoor recreation.  On May 13, 2004, he was acknowledged for his work, which included his participation in creating the National Forest San Juan Scenic Byway and the Colorado Scenic Byway System, with a Congressional Record Tribute by Congressman Scott McInnis.

At his brother’s wedding in 1975 he met his love, Jenifer Bjelke and they married on June 5, 1976, in Arleta, California.  After their honeymoon in Hawaii, they made their home in Salmon, Idaho where they finished building the house John designed and welcomed their first daughter, Julie.  In 1979 they moved to Delta, Colorado where the family continued to grow with daughter Janet, son Jens and dogs Tippy and Mia.

John was an active Lutheran Church member.  He served as president of the southwestern region of the Lutheran Students Association in college, was a charter member for 2 Lutheran churches, and served on church council.  He believed that membership is not what saved him, but faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  John’s confirmation verse was 1 Corinthians 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”.

John enjoyed his family, watching his kids play school sports, and participating in church activities.  He had a love for singing and was part of the Reno Civic Choir when living in Nevada and sang in church choirs over the years.  He also loved researching and learning about Norwegian Heritage.  He was a founding member of the Sons of Norway Vestifjell Lodge and part of their Norway cooking club.  After retirement, John enjoyed making trips with Jenifer to Illinois, Montana, North Dakota, and Nebraska to research genealogy and attend the Hadeland Lag Stevner.  John served as co-editor of a centennial history book for the Hadeland Lag of America, which resulted in the book “They Came from Hadeland” Norway.

John had many hobbies including model building, photography, wood carving, needle crafts - crewel, wood working, gardening and landscaping, stamp collecting, and genealogy.  In recent years he shared his stewardship for creation and love for landscaping with his children as he designed detailed plans for their home’s outdoor spaces and helped with the planting.

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 Messiah Lutheran Church, 840 N. 11th Street, Grand Junction, CO.  A grave service will follow at Palisade Cemetery.  In place of flowers, gifts may be given to Messiah Lutheran Church School.