As a child, future Pioneer Press reporter Jennifer Ann Bjorhus was “always on the move,” her older sister, Kari Bjorhus said. In fact, she was almost kicked out of nursery school because she wouldn’t take a nap, her sister recalled with a chuckle.

Her infectious energy and natural curiosity propelled her throughout life, whether she was chasing down a story, helping a friend decorate her house, giving gardening tips or sharing food with her husband and two sons.

Diagnosed with brain cancer in Nov. 2023, Bjorhus died at home Aug. 9 after a hard-fought battle with glioblastoma. She was 59.

Born in Litchfield, Minn., Bjorhus attended Carlton College where she majored in English language and literature before earning her MJ and MA in Journalism and Asian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, according to the family obituary.

During her time at Berkeley, Bjorhus fell in love with the West Coast and went on to report for The Seattle Times as a general assignment reporter and cover business for The Oregonian and the San Jose Mercury News.

In 2002, when Bjorhus moved back to Minnesota, the St. Paul Pioneer Press added her to its roster.

For six years she covered business at the Pioneer Press before moving on to the Minneapolis Star Tribune where for nearly 16 years she covered business, criminal justice, watchdog reporting and most recently, the environment.

“Jen was the kind of reporter who never let go of a good story” wrote Emily Gurnon, a former reporter for the Pioneer Press and Bjorhus’ best friend, in an email.

“She dedicated herself 100% to educating readers about vital issues, from the economy and the housing crisis to flaws in the justice system and environmental degradation,” Gurnon said.

In 2007, Bjorhus and then-Pioneer Press colleague MaryJo Webster won a Minnesota Associated Press Association award for their series, “Uneasy Street,” which detailed the effects of the housing crisis on homeowners.

In 2018, Bjorhus and her colleagues were Pulitzer Prize finalists for their series “Denied Justice,” which exposed breakdowns in Minnesota’s investigation and prosecution of rape cases, per the family obituary. In 2020, Bjorhus was part of the Star Tribune team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of George Floyd’s death.

“When we’d praise her for her awards, she’d say, ‘That’s nice, but that’s not why I do it,” her sister said. Regardless of the awards and accolades, Bjorhus was committed to “finding the truth” and “sincerely serving her community.”

When she wasn’t tracking down a source, Bjorhus could be found in the garden, out shopping or lighting up the room with her “innate elegance” and “wry sense of humor,” her sister said, adding, “At family gatherings, when Jenny walked in the room — the party started.”

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Bjorhus is survived by her husband Ranjit Kesha, sons Kai and Parthan, her mother, Marjorie Bjorhus, sisters Lori (David) Johnson, and Kari Bjorhus (Ken Carlson), and her nephews Lance Johnson (Emily), Evan Johnson (Allie), Noah Carlson, Nick Carlson (Ernie Darby) and many friends.

“My daughter interviewed Jen a couple of years ago for a college project on death and dying,” Gurnon wrote. When asked how she wanted to be remembered, Bjorhus said, “As someone who dedicated herself to journalism, and who lived and loved deeply.”

A memorial service celebrating Jennifer’s life will be held 1 p.m. Aug. 30 at the Unity Church-Unitarian at 733 Portland Ave., in St. Paul.

Memorials in lieu of flowers are preferred to The Nature Conservancy, Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa or plant a native shrub or tree in Jen’s memory, according to the family obituary.