Jerilyn R. Dinsmoor

Jerilyn Dinsmoor of Onalaska died September 4, 2016 at the age of 56 while at her family cottage in northern Wisconsin with her husband and father by her side.
Jerilyn was born to Charlotte and Jim Kinkema in Milwaukee on August 17, 1960. She graduated from Nicolet High School in 1978. She went on to earn a BS in Clothing, Textiles and Design from UW-Stout in 1982, graduating magna cum laude. In 1985, Jerilyn returned to UW-Stout to earn a BS in General Business Administration.
In the summer of 1988, Jerilyn met Brad Dinsmoor, and the pair married on June 30, 1990. They gave birth to sons Trevor in 1991 and Derek in 1994, whose lives and accomplishments Jerilyn eagerly followed and loved to share. She loved to watch her sons perform in the UW Marching Band.
She loved waterskiing with family and friends and routinely spent her evenings sailing on Lake Onalaska with her husband, Brad. Jerilyn realized and valued the importance of creativity and art, so when not out on the water or in the community, she would follow her whims in her home studio, playing and crafting with knick knacks and fabrics.
Jerilyn began a diverse life of service and promoting the arts in the La Crosse community when she worked as the Executive Director of the Pump House from 1987 to 1994. From 1995 to 2005 she worked for Western Wisconsin Education Conference, planning ten annual educator conferences. She also expanded her creative pursuits as she sold her wearable art at 52 art fairs over 10 years’ time.
Jerilyn began educating youth, first at First Presbyterian Church in 2000 and then at First Congregational UCC in 2004 where she led middle and high school youth on service trips to cities across the country, doing service work by day and discussing the causes of urban poverty in the evenings. She then taught courses in leadership and creativity at Viterbo University. In 2012, after studying nights and weekends, Jerilyn graduated with a Master of Arts degree from United Theological Seminary.
From 2013 until her death, Jerilyn took her passion for community service and her strong belief in education and served as the Executive Director for La Crosse Promise, a program seeking to promote education and economically revitalize La Crosse.
Jerilyn is survived by her husband, two sons, and parents.
Memorial services will be held on Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 2:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church, 233 West Avenue So. Rev. J. Taylor Haley will officiate. Friends may call at the church on Saturday from 3:00 – 7:00 PM and again on Sunday from 1:00 PM until the time of services. Instead of flowers, the Dinsmoors prefer donations be made to La Crosse Promise or WAFER Food Pantry.