The Life of Julaine Kay (Fossey) Dammen

On Sunday February 18, 2024, Julaine Kay (Fossey) Dammen, age 67, of Prior Lake, MN, went home to be with Jesus after a brave four-year battle against stage IV pancreatic cancer. Julaine never gave up her will to fight, even when treatments were really tough. To the very end when Julaine’s oncologist asked her what she wanted to do, Julaine said I want to continue to fight! While the cancer took her body, it could never defeat her spirit!

Julaine was born on June 22, 1956, in Austin, MN to Darwin and Betty (Cummings) Fossey. She was a small-town girl at heart, growing up in the family home in St. Ansgar, IA. Julaine had a close bond with her older sister and friend Sherry. She deeply loved her friends, sewing, and was a talented oboist. Julaine was a skilled baton twirler who led the St. Ansgar High School marching band as the Drum Majorette. A highlight of this role was twirling a flaming baton at a football half time show! She represented her community as Miss St. Ansgar at the Mitchell County Fair in 1973. Julaine graduated from St. Ansgar High School in May of 1974.

Julaine and Denny met on a warm night in the summer of 1972 at the annual Bratwurst Daze Celebration in Stacyville, IA. Although Denny was usually in Osage, IA and Julaine in St. Ansgar on weekends, they were both drawn to Stacyville that particular night. After talking for some time, Denny asked Julaine on a date for two weeks ahead to the famous Ides of March band that would be playing at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, IA, big stuff for a couple of kids! Julaine recalled how she thought he might not show up for their date, but he did, and from that night forward neither dated another person! Denny begged his younger brother Dave to borrow Dave’s 1966 Olds F-85 Cutlass with sharp paint, bucket seats and floor shifter to impress Julaine. Whether Julaine was impressed or not pray tell, but on the second date Denny had to drive his real car at that time, a run-down high mileage Olds 88 with drab gold paint. He had to fess up when she asked, “is this your parent’s car?” What followed was their first of many great laughs together, and the beginning of lifelong honesty and trust. A year and a half later, Denny proposed to Julaine on New Year’s Eve in 1973 and they were engaged.

On September 14, 1974, Julaine married the love of her life, Dennis M. Dammen, at First Lutheran Church in St. Ansgar. To this union, two children were born, Krista and Aaron. Julaine and Denny spent the early years of their marriage raising their young family in the small rural town of Toeterville, IA. The family moved to St. Ansgar in 1983 and later made a big move to Prior Lake, MN in 1988. Julaine and Denny were a united team who worked tirelessly to build a successful independent business with the Conklin Company. Through their involvement with Conklin both as Sales Directors for nearly 50 years (and a dual role for 15 of those years with Denny on corporate staff), they were blessed to meet a myriad of amazing lifelong friends, sales associates and clients, and top business leaders.

With the move to Minnesota in 1988, they soon transferred church membership by joining Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church in Prior Lake. Julaine and Denny had been active members of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Toeterville where Julaine served in many capacities, most notably as the children’s choir director. She loved to lead the children in song and would energetically play her guitar and encourage the kids to sing out to the Lord!

During this same period, Julaine followed her dream of becoming a nurse and secured her associate degree as a Registered Nurse from Austin Community College in May 1980. Julaine was always tending to people’s physical needs and to their hearts. Julaine was a true care giver in every sense of the word, whether preparing a meal, helping with her grandkid’s birthday parties and graduations, tending to a “boo boo” or stepping in to assist with an accident. Julaine loved her nursing work and served in a variety of settings. In her 37-year professional career, she did hospital work in Osage, IA and Austin, MN, nursing home care at the St. Ansgar Good Samaritan Society, work with special needs young adults at Front Steps in Shakopee, MN and served as a nurse at the Prior Lake-Savage Area School District, for 14 years at Oak Ridge Elementary, Twin Oaks Middle School and Jeffer’s Pond Elementary. Julaine retired from official nursing work in 2017, but her heart to serve and care for others never ceased!

She was a nationally certified aerobics instructor for over 20 years, teaching step and power cut floor classes at several fitness centers, culminating in her passion for health and wellness at Dakotah Sport and Fitness in Prior Lake.

Over a period of 30 years, Julaine and Denny enjoyed camping at many of the resorts on Minnesota’s Leech Lake, and finally in 2012 they purchased a townhome in Walker, MN. They enjoyed many beautiful days up north, spending time with friends, fishing and floating on the lake, snowmobiling in the winter, and hosting their children and grandchildren for fun and festive celebrations, especially the 4^th of July. Julaine stated that teaching the grandchildren to fish, to swim strongly but safely, and to spend time in the outdoors was precious and priceless to her. She also loved playing games of all kinds with her mom, grandkids, family, and friends including cards, (especially Five Hundred, Bridge, and later Canasta), cribbage, domino games (especially Chicken Foot), Aggravation, badminton, and croquet.

Julaine and Denny enjoyed many fun vacations and loved air travel, including award trips with Conklin, various concerts and theater, USA sightseeing, a couple Caribbean cruises with some parasailing, and an adventurous road trip in Julaine’s zippy red Camaro convertible from Minneapolis to Yellowstone National Park. On that adventure, Denny recalls all too well that Julaine briefly raced this dream car of hers with the top down at speeds up to 110 mph on the open roads of Montana, and then she said with a smile “that’s enough.” Denny paid her back while driving in the mountains, recalling that she kept saying as a passenger “aren’t we getting a little close to the edge of the road?” Julaine was an avid enthusiast for classic, muscle, and other sports cars, plus different models of snowmobiles, jet skis, and boats over the years. She loved laughing and having fun and helping and encouraging others to do the same!

Julaine’s smile was contagious and when she looked at you with those brilliant blue eyes it was like she was looking right into your heart! And what a beautiful heart she had! Well, done, good and faithful servant!

Julaine will be dearly missed and forever remembered by her loving husband of 50 years, Dennis M. Dammen, daughter Krista (Todd) Anderson, son Aaron (Carla) Dammen, and five beloved grandchildren: Olivia, Amelia, and Victoria Anderson, Henna and Jonas Dammen, mother Betty (Cummings) Fossey, sister-in-law Mary (Ron) Graeff, and many wonderful nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles, aunts, and dear friends. She is preceded in death by her father, Darwin Fossey, her sister, Sherry Loften, and infant nephew Bruce Loften.

A Visitation will be held for Julaine on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, from 4-7pm at Ballard-Sunder Funeral and Cremation in Prior Lake, MN, (4565 Pleasant St SE). Julaine’s Celebration of Life will be held at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church in Prior Lake, MN, (3611 North Berens Rd NW) on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 11am with one hour of visitation prior.

Julaine will be laid to rest on Friday, March 1, 2024, at Osage Cemetery in Osage, IA at 1pm. A short fellowship will follow at First Lutheran Parish Center in St. Ansgar, IA.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred and will be distributed by the family to both HealthPartners Frauenshuh Cancer Center and to the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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