Jennie Anne Olson

Jennie Anne Olson (Ziegler), age 42 of Spokane Valley passed away at home on April 3, 2023, surrounded by her loving family.  Jennie was born to Gene and Kristie Ziegler on August 8, 1980, at Sacred Heart Hospital, the youngest of four children.

Jennie spent her entire life in Spokane Valley, attending Chester Elementary, Horizon Junior High School and University High School.  She attended Washington State University for 2 years following high school.  In 2003 Jennie married Aaron Olson in a ceremony in Coeur d’ Alene ID and they had three sons in the years that followed. When Jennie left WSU, she began working as a barista and discovered her passion.  Eventually they bought a coffee stand, The Perk, in the Spokane Valley.

Jennie was a gifted runner, and you could find her running all over the Valley.   She was often seen pushing a stroller when her boys were young and more recently with them all following her on their bikes.  She loved running Bloomsday and ran in numerous races all over the Inland Northwest.  One of her great wins was the one that she pushed her youngest in a jogging stroller! 

Jennie loved sports and played them throughout her school years. She passed this love of sports on to her boys and one of her favorite things was taking them to Mariner games, WSU football games and Seahawk games.

Jennie was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in June of 2021.  In the following 22 months Jennie lived to create memories with her boys, who were everything to her. She took them to Arizona for Mariner Spring training, California for Mariner games, Sofi stadium for a Seahawks game, New York to catch some baseball and to Tucson to see the Cougs play Arizona.

After her diagnosis, Jennie fought her cancer with everything she had, but the cancer was also in her liver, and this progressed rapidly in her final weeks. Jennie was a wonderful daughter, sister, mother, wife and rock star business owner. She will be deeply missed by everyone who was lucky enough to know her. She is our HERO.

Jennie was preceded in death by her four grandparents, Charles and Eileen Marley, Nicholas and Veronica Ziegler: and her aunts Claudia Gordon (Marley) and Gaye Davis (Marley).  She is survived by her parents Gene and Kristie Ziegler, her husband Aaron Olson, sons Gavin (17), Griffin (13), Gunner (8), her father-in-law Roger Olson (Carol), her siblings, Michael Ziegler (Patricia), Carrie Croall, Kellie Sjerven (Bob), numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. 

The family wishes to thank all of Jennie’s dedicated employees who have been so supportive and all her loyal customers throughout the years, who supported her and made her business such a success.  We would also like to thank her oncologist, Dr. Danko and Stephanie Hart at Beacon Cancer Care in Coeur d’ Alene.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to cancer research.

A memorial in Jennie’s honor will be Friday May 26th at 6:00 PM at Valley Real Life on Barker Rd.  All are welcome. To share memories of Jennie and leave condolences for the family, please visit Jennie's Tribute Wall.