Obituaries

Ellen Utoft Bollesen Juhl died July 5, 2022, in Seattle, WA.   She was born into the Danish-immigrant community of Tyler, Minnesota on October 21, 1925, to Jens and Karen Bollesen.  Ellen was the third oldest of six siblings who were Herdis, Kai, Ester, Leif (Curly) and Agnete (Aggie).  All but Curly predeceased her.

Ellen attended the Danish elementary school on the Danebod Folk School campus.  After graduating from Tyler High School, she attended Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa, and received her B.S. in physical education from the University of Minnesota.  Following her marriage to Allan Juhl in 1948 at Danebod Lutheran Church, she became a physical education teacher in the Minneapolis school system and then a homemaker and mother to Paul, Barbara, Natalie, and David.

The family moved to Seattle in 1968 following the purchase of Pacific Picture Frame Co., which became Juhl-Pacific Corporation, supplying framing and art supplies to frame shops and artists around the United States.  Ellen worked in the family business along with Allan and her four children.  She retired in 1988 when the business was sold.

A world traveler, Ellen made numerous trips to Denmark as well as most of the countries in Europe.  Her thirst for travel also took her to the Mideast, the Far East, Australia, the Himalayas, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where she volunteered for one month to help build the Seattle-Tashkent Peace Park.

Ellen’s interest and loyalty to her family also set her itinerary to the locations where they lived.  Her presence and affirmation of her family were sources of joy to all.  Ellen held memberships in various Danish-American organizations in Minnesota, Iowa, and Washington. She was a promoter of  “all things Danish” and regularly attended the Danebod Folk Camp and Danebod Folk Meeting each August in Tyler.  Her church memberships at Danebod Lutheran (Tyler), St. Peder’s Lutheran (Minneapolis), and Maple Leaf Lutheran (Seattle) were vital to her faith and life perspective.  Her leadership positions in each congregation were greatly appreciated.

Ellen will be remembered for her loyalty to family, a joy-filled life, generosity, hospitality, and her indefatigable energy wherever she went.  Surviving family members are her brother Curly (Joy) Bollesen, Rochester, Minnesota; children Paul (Cheryl) Juhl, Edina, Minnesota, Barbara (TR) Reiner, Clay Center, Kansas, Natalie (Philip) Nesvig, Tacoma, Washington, David Juhl, SeaTac, Washington; granddaughters Stephanie Juhl, Ann Harms, Jane Haley, Kate Miloch, Sonja Noykos, Rachel Nesvig; two step-grandsons Bob Newell, Jamie Newell; step-granddaughter Jaci Keys, and numerous great and great-great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.  A special thanks to the staff at the Hearthstone in Seattle for their loving care of Ellen over the past eight years.

Memorial service:  September 25, 2022; 1:30 p.m.  Maple Leaf Lutheran Church, 10005 32nd Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98125.

Memorial contributions may be made to Danebod Folk School Foundation (140 Danebod Ct. Tyler, MN 56178), Lutheran World Relief  (700 Light St., Baltimore, MD 21230), Northwest Danish Association (1833 N. 105th St., Ste 101 Seattle, WA 98133), or Maple Leaf Lutheran Church (10005 32nd Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98125).