Tuesday January 6, 2025.
Beloved daughter of William and Shelia Cullen Dettmann; loving sister of Matt (Taylor) and John (Vickie) Dettmann; fiercely loving aunt of Oliver and Theo Dettmann; beloved partner of Jane Eitel; dear niece of John (June) Cullen, the late Lawrence (surviving Nancy) Cullen, the late William Cullen, Jr, the late Eileen Cook, the late Kathleen (surviving Dave) Ziegler, the late Clara Ann (late Ralph) Padfield, the late Ted (late Jan) Dettmann and the late Joyce (late Earl) Schubert; dear half-sister of Helen (Mark) Hairston and their daughter Lyric Harris; dear cousin and friend to many.
Jennifer loved living in multiple places in the US and exploring nature and the outdoors, when she was back home in St. Louis she enjoyed spending time with her fellow graduates from Nerinx Hall High School.
Services: A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Memorials to Siteman Cancer Center https://siteman.wustl.edu/ or the Missouri Botanical Garden https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/ appreciated.
The world is a much quieter and boring place without you Jenn (with 2 n’s!) We met Jan 1987 & your tenacity and love of life have never changed or wavered. Your giggles equaled your feistiness but your huge heart was what made you sincere. In the last 18 month fight for life, you managed to remember my grandkids names & you asked me about them often. You checked in on me on days I was supposed to check in on you!….you said you were being proactive but I know better. I envied your green thumb & all the details you put into hosting a party. But now that you’re gone Jenn, I miss our friendship. RALPH. Cancun, synchronized swim, dance class, and later in life, chatting on your front porch at the Lou. Hasta luego Mi Amiga.
Family, Please accept my sympathy.
Jennifer was so special
“” One-of-A-Kind “” … Always a positive Bright Light & Sparkly.
She will be missed,
Sincerest Sympathy, Loyce
Dear Jenn,
Thank you for being my first true friend when I left Charlotte and moved to Boston in 2005. I had no idea how much we would have connected when I met you at that networking event; you at Boston Spirit Magazine and me at Doubletree Guest Suites Soldiers Field Road. The times we have had through the years, living near and living afar. The days, nights, times, convos and memories we shared are sealed in my heart. I’m a better person deep down because I had you in my earthly life and now my spiritual one. I will never forget seeing your face all the way from ST. Louis at my mom’s service in Charlotte 12/2021; but why should it surprise me that’s the superior loving, giving, caring, non-self serving person you were and still are amongst the Heavenly Angels. Till we meet again love, keep shining your light and giving folks hope that they can meet your standard of love. Love you, same sign off you always gave me.
Rest easy, Jennifer. We will never forget all the beautiful memories we have all made together over the years. We love and miss you.
Chris and John
Jenn, our dear girl. She was the little girl who lived down the street. I was her babysitter; she was five, I was a teenager. And Jenn came to our house for her weekly allergy shot, bringing her youthful energy and a bucket of giggles through the front door….and a deluge of of curiosities and questions; trying to get us to tell her things she was too young to hear! One time she cajoled my sister and me to give her a makeover with our eye shadows and lipsticks. It’s a memory we shared and laughed about as adult friends.
I’ll always remember that bright little red-headed firecracker. Her creativity, feistiness, mischievousness, and zest for life was apparent even as a child. It’s the essence with which she came into the world and with which she left. She brought a smile to my face to my face whenever I thought of her….as a child and then as an adult. And now, even through the sadness of losing her, she still brings a smile to my face. Probably yours too.
Bill, Sheila, Matt and John….all your love and support over the past few years was such a gift. How lucky she was to have you. . She loved you dearly. And dear Jangle…your love and constant care is unparalleled. What an eternal gift you were to Jenn…Her shining star. My love and condolences to each of you. Ann (Lamprecht) Austin
Jenn was many things in her life: salesperson, business owner, writer, advocate; creator; adventurer; humorist; intellectual; debater; motivator, wife, cat momma, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, aunt, and most importantly to me – a best friend from our early days at Camp Robin Hood to the classrooms of Nerinx Hall and into adulthood.
Jenn boldly loved her friends and family and made me feel important and cherished. Her laughter was infectious. She could be so silly, making me laugh until I cried or coughed myself into an asthma fit then she would hand me an inhaler. She was at my side along with her partner, Jane, and the Nerinx/Mehlville girls (JennCullen’s elephants) during the most difficult times in my life. I will forever be grateful for her gracious, compassionate, giving soul that mended my brokenness.
Jenn advocated for the things that were important to her: the environment, LGBTQIA+, animal rights and for humans to just be kind to one another. When we were younger, I assumed she would be a barrister arguing before the courts. She took those skills of discussion and used it for good to further the causes she believed in.
Jenn possessed chutzpah, spunk, grit, faith and a will to live life to the fullest through travel adventures and friendships. She had a way of turning adversity into shiny opportunities of hope, courage and perseverance. She inspired me to reach higher, be confident and love bigger.
Jenn will live on in my memories. My life is better because of her.
I love you dearly, sweet friend. You are at peace and loved by so many!
It’s hard to let you go, but this is not the end…
My dear Aunt Jennifer,
Words can’t fully express how grateful I am for every moment together, from the day I was first told about you to the day we finally met twelve years ago. From the nights of playing games when you would visit, to that unforgettable night of playing Yahtzee in your hospital room; from the days you surprised me, to the day we surprised you.
You were the ultimate example of choosing joy, even in your greatest battle. I will carry you with me always, especially in the moments when I need to choose joy over hurt.
I love you. 🤍