Jennifer Duenes, 36, Owatonna

April 18, 1985, Panama Beach, Fla., was somehow not recorded in The Old Farmer's Almanac as it should have been. The day Florida was blessed with one of the mightiest hurricanes to ever make landfall. Jennifer Lynn Duenes.
She was born with hair as black as coal and sparkly brown eyes that could enchant anyone she came across. She and her family moved back up to Minnesota in the late 80s. 
As a child she loved giggling and getting chased around the farmhouse and yard by her mom and sister and brothers, piggy tails flying and giggles lighting the way for us to follow. She loved helping her mom in the kitchen, which usually ended in hilarity and disaster of equal proportions. She was always singing her own little songs. She was a sassy little mischief maker. She grew up with the exact same sass and spirit that never changed.
April 26, 2021. Every single one of us woke up not knowing what the ugly under belly of addiction, mental illness and the sometimes, insurmountable pain that comes with it had taken away from us in the night. As we slept blissfully unknowing. Jennifer claimed her own piece of peace in this world. No matter how hard she tried she just could not get away from the demons that ruled her body and mind. I can say loudly and proudly that she tried her damndest. Because I knew Jennifer enough to know that she would not bother saying it if she did not truly mean it. She tried and she tried, and she was not quiet about it, she asked aloud.
On July 14, 2001, she met the first love of her life, when Destiny Ann was born to her and Luke. The other three loves of her lives were to follow in Kaylee, Jana, and Tyler.
Jennifer loved life and sucked the marrow out of every day when she could. She was so proud of her kids. She was proud of herself when she was keeping things steady and working and paying bills. She loved her dad and mom, brothers, and sister and was proud of everything they did as well. She was a little grease monkey just like her dad Henry and brother’s Eric and Jason.
She loved her Harley and the fact that she was the one that maintained it and kept her own little junkyard wherever she went just like her dad as well. The knowledge that her and dad are together is the only thing that makes almost all of us say okay then right now. No one understood them like they did each other.
Jennifer leaves behind her children, Destiny Ann, Kaylee Dawson, Jana Vanblaricon and Tyler Vanblaricon. Her mom Deb Gossman, stepdad Jerry Brandt, brothers Steven Duenes (Jade), Eric Duenes (Brittney), Jason Duenes, Melissa (Duenes) Lindberg (Kent) and Zak Duenes (Leah). Nephews and nieces, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
She was preceded in death by her beloved father Henry Duenes, Grandma and Grandpa Joe and aunt Lisa Baldwin.
There will be a celebration of Jennifer’s life in the next few weeks that will be announced. 
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Brick-Meger Funeral Home in Owatonna.