Jamie L. Gillett, 80, Sauk Rapids, formerly of Ogilvie

August 3, 1942 – April 16, 2023

Jamie Lynn Gillett, age 80, of Sauk Rapids, formerly of Ogilvie, passed away on Sunday, April 16, 2023 at the St. Cloud Hospital.

A Memorial Gathering Celebration Jamie’s life will be held from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at the Benson Funeral Home, St. Cloud. There will be a time to share memories at 2:30 PM.

Jamie was born on August 3, 1942 in Chicago, IL to Jules and Mary (Loco) Hack. The family moved to central California when she was five and lived there until her early twenties when they returned to MN. She graduated from the St. Barnabas Nursing School in Minneapolis, MN and became a Registered Nurse. Jamie worked as a nurse in Minneapolis before marrying Gregg Gillett in 1973. In 1975 they moved to a farm near Ogilvie where she worked at the Cambridge and Mora Hospitals until retiring in 2010. At the farm they experimented with homesteading and lived off of the land. The home was dubbed “Laughing Water Farm” and was the setting for many dazzling parties with abundant and delicious food, intense discussion, plentiful laughter, interesting conversation, and the occasional wedding. She enjoyed life on the farm, including gardening, both flowers and bountiful vegetable gardens, canning, freezing, caring for and milking goats, and making goat cheese. For some time Jamie was active at Siloa Lutheran Church as a Sunday School Teacher and member of the Decorating Committee. She was a creative, talented, artistic, intelligent, and brave person who loved to learn new things, never backed away from a challenge or found a task she couldn’t tackle. The farm was filled with rugs, art, cabinets, and furniture that Jamie made, including a needle felting that won “Best of Show” at the East Central Regional Arts Council’s Image Art Show. She also wrote the musical score, lyrics and spoken dialog for a historical musical titled “Sugar” with her friend Marilyn McGriff. Her greatest joy came from time spent with her friends and family, especially her grandchildren

Jamie is survived by her children, Noah Gillett and Naomi (Bruce Dorn) Gillett; Gregg’s children, Laura (Joel) Jensen, Stuart (Lorena Lamont), Matthew (Christine Brant) and Andrew (Karen); two grandchildren, Gregory and Elijah; six step-grandchildren, Michael, Neil, Nathan, Alex, Ben and Emily; and brother, Jules Hack.

She is preceded in death by her parents and husband, Gregg in 2019.