Jennifer Louise Eisele

Jennifer Louise Eisele passed away at her parents’ home in Elmira on Tuesday Dec 15, 2009. She lived for four wonderful, loving, and friend-filled months after being diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer in August 2009. Jennifer recently enjoyed a luau with her friends and family in celebration of her 35th birthday, Dec. 6th.

Jennifer was born in Santa Clara, Calif., in 1975 to William and Sylvia Eisele. In addition to her parents, she is survived by her brother, Gene Eisele of Denver, Colo.; her sister, Liz Bonnett of Portland, Ore.; and her cat, Nicholas.

The family lived in California for the first six years of Jennifer’s life and then moved to Utah and Colorado.

For most of Jennifer’s childhood she enjoyed summers at their home in Elmira. In 1993, the family moved up year-round and she got to experience Idaho winters (with considerably less enthusiasm).

Jennifer moved into an apartment in Sandpoint in 1995 and commenced making friends with anyone who had the time to chat. She was a regular figure at the public library, Safe-way, the St. Joseph’s soup kitchen, the Farmer’s Market, the Healing Garden, and nearly every bookstore in town.

Although she never married, Jennifer’s life was filled with many, many friends, a close and loving family, and numerous wonderful pets.

 For a few years she worked at the downtown Sandpoint liquor store, but primarily filled her time with reading, writing poetry, watching science fiction, developing friendships, snuggling with her cats, and cleaning her perpetually messy apartment.

One of Jennifer’s special projects was hand stitching fleece blankets. She took great joy in surprising people with a blanket custom made in themes to match their taste.

At the time of her passing, Jennifer was working on three blankets and had made and given away another 25.

Jennifer’s memorial service will be held in the summer of 2010 at her parent’s home in Elmira. She requested an upbeat celebration in the woods. Her ashes will be interred on the property with all of her best buddies - the family pets.

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Jennifer’s online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign her guest book.