In August 2002, the outdoor community lost a friend. Lifelong outdoors-woman Nicole Oeltjen passed away. Nicole's family has established a memorial endowment fund through BOW to provide more opportunities for women to participate. Contributions to the memorial may be sent to the Nicole Fund, PO Box 1026, Stevens Point, WI 54481. Through the care and generosity of those who knew Nicole, more than $20,000 has been contributed to the fund. Nicole's memorial will ensure that women have outdoor education opportunities through BOW in perpetuity.
Nicole's father and mother have written the following tribute to their daughter.

NICOLE OELTJEN

     Nicole Oeltjen was born on May 11, 1978 in Newton, Kansas. From the very beginning Nicole was a precocious and beautiful child. In her formative years the majority of her playmates were boys. Nicole was a caring and generous person, but quickly adjusted to the rough and tumble style of her playmates. She was more than a match for the boys she knew. In fact she became the leader of most outdoor activities, from climbing trees, to building forts, to catching snakes. As a very young girl, Nicole loved to tag along with her dad bird hunting and deer hunting. She was curious about everything, but the most significant aspect of her personality was her sense of beauty. Hunting in the snow on the desolate plains of Kansas, Nicole would find the most beautiful parts of nature. Perhaps it would be a flower struggling to survive under the snow, or a nest of baby rabbits. If natural beauty was there, Nicole would find it.
Nicole not only found beauty in nature, but in people as well. She was a fierce defender of the downtrodden, and could always be counted on to stand up for their rights---even if it included physical confrontation. On one occasion several of the neighborhood boys were teasing a younger girl. They had taken her cap, and in spite of her crying pleas, refused to give it back. Nicole wanted to help her little friend, but since they were three boys older than her, she resorted to the only means at hand. Picking up a tree branch Nicole proceeded to swat the boys until they gave the hat back, and then a few more swats after that for good measure.

     Moving to southern Georgia when she was 11 years old, Nicole immediately adapted to surroundings in the pine forest of her new home. After living there only a few weeks Nicole's father answered the door to three boys ranging in age from about 8 to 11 years in age. The purpose of their visit was to request Nicole's help in catching a snake in the nearby creek. Her father's protestations and warnings were no match for Nicole's eagerness to catch snakes---and impress her new friends. She was out the door in a flash and soon returned with the squirming snake in hand.

Nicole followed her sister in competitive air rifle shooting. It was soon discovered that although right handed by nature, she was left-eye dominant. Switching to her left side was no problem for Nicole and she soon became a very accomplished marksman. At an early age she began working as a puller and referee at the local gun club. Her disarming personality, combined with exceptional reflexes, soon lead to her status as a top referee among the shooters. She made them feel good about themselves and did all she could to help them succeed. As time went on she became so infatuated with shotgun sports that her mom and dad gave her a trap shotgun as a gift for her Confirmation in the Church.

     When Nicole was 13 she moved with her family to Portland, OR. Not surprisingly, Nicole was enthralled with the ocean, the mountains, and the high desert, all within easy driving distance of her new home. She also became a hunter in her own right, traveling with her father to Georgia, Texas, and other states to hunt Whitetail Deer, Nilgai antelope, and upland birds. Her curiosity and passion to understand nature was evident in her fascination for observing the field dressing of game animals. Much to her mother and sister's horror, Nicole found the internal organs of an animal to be a source of great interest. Her questions about the working parts were unending, and she had no revulsion in examining them with her bare hands. This fascination, combined with her continual desire to gross out her sister, caused matters to get a bit out of hand one day. In the process of helping her father field dress a deer and cut the antlers from its head, Nicole decided it would be quite funny to put the brains on a plate and present them to her sister as a snack. Her sister, after gingerly lifting the napkin to see what was on the plate, immediately let out a blood-curdling scream and knocked the brains across the living room. Although Nicole and her father thought it great fun, Nicole's mother thought otherwise, and the party was over.

     When Nicole was 16 year old her interest quickly turned to independence. That independence could be spelled out in three letters---CAR. Her choice of transportation fit her personality perfectly. It had to be a Volkswagen bug. Nicole promptly wrecked her first bug, and not long after, her second bug. It was time to get Nicole something a bit more substantial. Her third car was a Bronco. While Nicole was an excellent driver in some ways, her temperament wasn't necessarily geared to the discipline of good driving habits. Virtually all of her problems were the result of simply not paying attention. However, in the process of all this, Nicole began to show extraordinary mechanical talents. This was also a way to impress a long list of boyfriends who were seldom able to keep up with her expertise. That, combined with her shooting and general outdoor skills, became a bit intimidating to some boys. Although Nicole soon learned to hide these talents around boys, her general enthusiasm made it a daunting task.

     As Nicole entered college her creative instincts turned to cooking. She became fascinated by the nuances of fine food preparation, and began working part time in a series of restaurants. She began studying the art diligently, continually seeking out finer restaurants to apply her newly discovered talent. A restaurant management position in one of Denver's largest restaurants became the motivation for her move to Denver, CO. Denver also happened to be the home of a wonderful young man she had fallen in love with. Denver provided everything Nicole had been looking for her entire life. A man she loved and respected, a great job with serious career potential, and the awesome Rocky Mountains. Nicole's letters home were filled with joy and excitement as she described the majestic mountains and her love of all they offered.

     But Colorado's mountain attractions didn't deter from Nicole's fondness for shooting. She quickly found several great places to shoot clay targets. Her enthusiasm was such that she quickly convinced many of her workmates to join her in a round of sporting clays and trap. In a matter of a few short weeks she had converted many of them to the joys of shooting. Nicole also had a long-term love for riding 4-wheelers. She and her father had often spent wonderful weekends in the mountains of Oregon 4-wheeling, shooting targets, and camping. She was a fearless and very accomplished rider. Perhaps her love of freedom, independence, and the beauty of nature were the real reason she loved the machines so much. They provided an exciting and invigorating way to see even more and to do it faster. Colorado's mountain terrain offered even more challenges than Oregon's had. Her parents weren't too surprised to hear that Nicole's boyfriend had purchased a new and powerful 4-wheeler.

     Nicole developed her love for hiking in Oregon. In Colorado that love grew exponentially. If no one was available to go with her, she was perfectly comfortable in taking a long hike alone. In Oregon, Nicole would often take her dad or mom along or their golden retriever. But Nicole didn't just hike for exercise. She wanted to go higher and higher in order to see more and more of the wonders below. She would stop and describe a particular view in reverent tones, and those hiking with her would often see the beauty as if for the first time. Nicole's love of nature and the outdoors was tangible, and her descriptions of its beauty were vivid.

     Those who had the privilege of knowing Nicole have been forever touched by her love of life, her love of people, and her love of the wonders of nature. She is missed so very much by those who knew her, but they are fortified in the knowledge that her spirit is still in the great outdoors, and the lessons she taught will live on. What a wonderful gift she has given to all who had the privilege to know her.

Ray Oeltjen
12-1-02