On March 25, 2025, Jennifer Christine Oiler suddenly departed Laramie, Wyoming for the peaceful paradise of Heaven. Born March 14, 1979, she lived 46 years as a loving, kind, quiet soul, who impacted the lives of many through her work as a caring and brilliant nurse practitioner and professor. She will be dearly missed.

Born in Aurora Colorado, Jennifer moved around frequently during her childhood, spending time in Laramie, Wyoming; McCook, Nebraska; Springfield, Ohio; and studying abroad in the Czech Republic. She was a vibrant young woman with a talent for swimming and love for reading.

Jennifer received her first advanced degree in Biology from UNO in 2001, summa cum laude, with Andrew in tow and Bel on the way. She received unwavering support from her stepfather Steven “Papa” Sines and her best friend Jamie Armbruster. After working as a scientist for a while in Omaha, she moved back to Laramie for the mountains and community. She wanted to have a more direct impact on people and thus began pursuing a Nursing degree, following in the footsteps of her mother Deborah. She finished her B.S. in Nursing May 2007, cum laude. Unsatisfied with the level of medical practice she could perform with just a Bachelor’s Degree, Jennifer continued studying, completing her Master’s degree in 2009.

Jennifer’s first full time job was at the Platte Valley Medical Clinic in Saratoga, WY, where she practiced medicine in the tight-knit rural community for 8 years, while also acting as a preceptor for the UW School of Nursing.  In 2017 She headed back across the Snowy Range to Laramie, where she began clinical teaching in parallel with her work at the Albany Community Health Clinic.  In 2019 she moved into a role at UW Student Health, where she continued to increase her involvement in the Nursing School.

Jennifer had recently realized she wanted to move towards a full-time teaching role to pass on her knowledge gained from years of practice. In addition to teaching in the DNP program, she was pursuing a DNP herself. In parallel, she continued seeing patients, teaching, and supporting Bel’s medical challenges. She was truly amazing, always looking towards the next step, willing to work harder to improve her and her children’s situation.

Most of  Jennifer’s favorite activities involved reveling in the beauty of God’s creation, but usually with a side of some “type 2 fun”. She enjoyed trail running, hiking, and camping, especially with her kids and dogs.  She imbued a love and respect for the outdoors into Andrew and Bel on hikes and camping trips from a young age. The first skiing trip was a minor catastrophe with two elementary-age kids rolling all over the bunny hill at Snowy Range, Mom hiking between them, but it planted the seeds for many of Andrew’s favorite outdoor activities.

Jennifer discovered a love for running later in life, setting her sights on the Medicine Bow Rail Trail Half Marathon at age 44. She trained for months, and successfully completed the race alongside Andrew and his wife, Bel cheering from the sideline. Jennifer’s favorite weather was rain, but only while sunny – reminiscent of the isolated showers that pop up during Wyoming’s Spring. Anyone who saw Jennifer dance at XaBeat in her coin skirt knew that she truly danced like nobody was watching. She also liked introspective activities – her yoga routine had been tuned for decades, and she was a voracious reader, rarely seen without a book. Bedtime stories were mandatory every evening when Andrew and Bel were growing up.

Dealt a challenging hand in her early life, Jennifer overcame astounding headwinds, working diligently through multiple advanced degrees and earning top grades while raising her two children as a single mother. She felt the utmost responsibility to give Andrew and Bel the skills and environment to thrive, no matter the circumstances. She worked to teach them how to tackle life’s challenges with grit and kindness, instilled such a love for learning that lifelong curiosity was a given, and offered wisdom only afforded to those who have been to the darkest valleys, and returned.  

Intelligent, introspective and humble, Jennifer preferred to focus on helping others and improving herself over building a vast social network. She was careful about who she connected with, but those lucky enough to call her a friend can attest to her intensely compassionate and realistic worldview.  

Jennifer cared deeply about her students and patients, pushing herself to provide high quality instruction and care, even when her schedule was packed with appointments because so many students liked to see her. Jennifer understood the value of feeling heard as a patient or student. She worked to provide the best care and mentorship possible to the next generation of people on both sides of our troubled healthcare system.

Jennifer is survived by her daughter Claribel Oiler, son Andrew Janecek-Oiler and his wife, Karlin Rufenacht, in the Denver and Laramie areas. In Nebraska, she is survived by her stepfather Steven Sines, sister Jill Oiler and her children Russell and Abby, brother Jon Oiler and his wife Amber, with their children Kaeden and Noah. In Cheyenne, brother Jason Oiler and his wife Pam, with their children Christopher and Anna.

If anyone impacted by Jennifer’s life wishes to show their support for her legacy with a donation, one of Jennifer’s co-workers, Ann Marie Hart, kindly set up a GoFundMe donation page to assist with the cost of Bel’s medical expenses and Jennifer’s memorial arrangements. It’s titled “Jennifer’s Legacy: A Memorial fund for Jennifer Oiler” and easily found online. After expiration of the fundraiser, feel free to direct any donations to your charity of choice in her name, ideally one related to underserved healthcare communities or outdoor recreation.

An intimate memorial service will be held in Laramie among Jennifer’s closest friends and family. It will be private, reserved, and intentional, as she was.