Jennifer Bjorhus, a 1993 graduate of the journalism school and longtime newspaper reporter, dies

Jennifer Bjorhus

A message from Emily Gurnon (’93), a longtime friend and classmate of Jennifer’s:

Jennifer Bjorhus, a 1993 graduate of the journalism school and longtime newspaper reporter,  died Aug. 9 after a nine-month battle with glioblastoma. She was 59. After earning her MJ, with a joint master’s in Asian Studies, she worked for eight years on the West Coast as a reporter at the Seattle Times, the Oregonian and the San Jose Mercury News. She returned to her Midwest roots in 2002, joining the business staff at the St. Paul Pioneer Press before moving to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2008. At the “Strib,” Bjorhus and three colleagues were finalists for a Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for their series, “Denied Justice.” Bjorhus was covering the environment for the paper when her cancer was diagnosed.

Bjorhus lived in St. Paul with her husband and 15-year-old son, Kai, and she was loved and cherished by many. A memorial service, scheduled for 1 p.m. CDT on Aug. 30, in St. Paul, will be livestreamed. Email Emily for details: emilygurnon@gmail.com.