Hey everyone,

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I share this with you.

Julie Steiskal, a long time OSPer passed away on Wednesday while on a mission trip up along the north shore in MN.

http://www.startribune.com/local/21793129.html

Please pray for her friends and family as well as the family of the girl who died with her.

Julie was loved by many here on the forum and many of us became friends through her.

Her wit, kindness and sillyness will be missed.

oh i am just without words right now. i jus tdont even know what to say.

i remember asking her to help me with my template for my dvd holders - and she was so quick to help.

she was one of the first persons here who, to me, were so helpful and willing to share.

she posted about her custom dvd holders, etc.

... wow.

How sad and how awful - prayer most certainly being lifted up for them and their families.

What a horrible tradgedy. My prayers are with her, her family as well as the girl and hers and those that knew them and loved them. How heartbreaking.

This is sooooooooo sad.

Wow, that is so tragic. They were both just too young

i dont even know what to say...
she had an incredibly warm smile and dancing eyes. she will be missed.

This is really too bad. Very very sad. According to the article she was trying to save the other girl. My heart is definately broken this afternoon.

Oh No!!!!!!!! Very sad...prayers lifted up.

wow...i dont have the words...

So sad. Life can end in an instant. Treat each day as a gift.

Prayers for both families.

Oh my goodness!!! How unbelievably sad!!!

Several people have mentioned her genorosity, and I need to be added to the list. She helped me on several projects and was always willing to help without hesitation, and expected nothing in return.

I miss you Julie.

Oh my...I'm so sorry to hear this. So very tragic. I can't imagine what her family and the family of the other girl is going through. Prayers for all of them being lifted up.

Tragic. We will keep Julie and her family (as well as the other victim / family) in our prayers.

Julie was kind enough to photograph my children for me last year when I was in serious photographic burn out. We love the images she captured. She has some up on her website.

But here are some fun ones of her during a couple of MN OSP get togethers we had.



^ Julie hamming it up with her beloved Nikon... who can blame her, Nikons kick butt!




^ Julie in Clair Kayser's gorgeous chair during OSP MN v2.0













^ She always made us laugh.



Julie, you will be dearly missed.
I cannot wait to laugh with you when we get to see you in heaven.

Now that I've had some time to process this, I guess the next question is how can we help take care of her clients?

I'm waiting on that answer myself... I talked with her close friend (who's name is also Alyssa) and I don't know if Julie had any backup plans in place... good lesson here for all of us. I know it is making me look at my plans.

Either Dan Snow or I (or any one of her numerous photog friends) will keep info up to date and if she needs anyone to take care of any of her clients.

Thanks for your concern, Alyssa.

I saw this post and didn't read it until I was talking to tami. This is just so sad. Sad for her family and the family of the girl, but also so sad for the people who had to witness their friends die in such a horrible way.

it would be cool if we could start an OSP scholarship (for a seminar or something like that) in her honor -- i'd be happy to make a donation.

p.s. it's so tragic that sometimes we don't immediately recognize a person's name but we immediately recognize the avatar. i know a lot of people have changed their handles...but it didn't really hit me until i saw her profile pic (which for a long time was her avatar)...then i realized we both joined around the same time... (you know...back in the OSP infancy...)

Ok. that's when I lost it.

Prayers.

I'm too new here to have known her, but what a freakish and horrible way to die. That is just awful. My thoughts are with her family and my condolences to those of you that lost a friend.

one of her threads. i just took some time to read it and she was quite the funny girl. one of julie's threads

i would really like to be involved in dan's idea of starting some type of scholarship - but i think it would best be served at her church - maybe help a kid there who would like to get into photography.

Life is short. Hold the apple.

I was just talking with Christina (stina.tei) about that today over lunch, just like them to talk in the same establishment over the internet on an OSP thread.

Life is way too short, think about that next time you miss a shot or a client is a pain in the rear. Puts things into perspective real quick.

She was such a beautiful person, inside and out.





I'm going to miss her.

Oh man, I just noticed that too under her avatar. That's exactly what she was doing when she died -- holding the apple. I can't stop crying.

I miss her so much already...

You should read her blog... she's very funny.

Oh and thank you so much for pulling up that thread.
I'm crying tears of laughter right now... we are sill folk up here.

And I'll tell you the story behind "Hold the Apple".

We would meet at a place called The Good Earth in Edina, MN while planning OSP MN 2.0 - it's a 'natural' restaurant.

Anyway, I ordered an Arnold Palmer (y'know, half lemondade half iced tea) and when I was drinking it I started getting an itchy through and my lip was feeling puffy.

So I asked the waitress if they put apple in my 'arnie'... her reply was, "Yes. We put apple in all of our fresh drinks. "

My response - "Oh, well can I have some bread and a coke? I'm terribly allergic to apples."

Waitress response was typical "I'm so sorry... sure we'll get you that bread."

All the while Julie and Christina are looking at me like this -

Julie then makes one of her funny remarks and says "Next time, hold the apple."

It then spun off into so many variations. She actually had a shirt made that said "Life is short, hold the apple".

Her latest funny quote was "Friends don't let friends use spastic punctuation."

you know... she was working on a new blog... but wasn't ready to show it to the world yet. I wish I had pushed her for a web addy....

More details in the revised news story.

Very sad!

and this one.... when she reached love cat status johnny's

So sad right now... I am praying for her family and and those of you that were close to such a sweet spirit.

I am having a really hard time with this right now.

When we got together for a MN OSP party in December, she gave me a ride to my car... and we sat and talked for over an hour... in that short of time, she had an impact on me.

She was caring, and committed...
...and yet, I still didn't know her that well-- I expected I would get to know her more in the future.

"Julie with two periods" I remember her saying over and over to people that night (in regards to how to find her on OSP).

I know you were closer with her than many of us, Johnny... If it is affecting me this much, ...I can't imagine how it is affecting you. We'll see her again. I hope you will have comfort in that. She is one lucky girl, though...to be where she is.

What an awful way to go...
... and we just never know when we're going to leave this world, or when our friends will leave us.

That was one of the first things i noticed when I visited her profile today..."Life is short. Hold the apple."
Just crazy... crazy.

I am heartbroken and red in the face from crying so hard already... This will take some time for everyone to get over... I will be praying for her family as well..

Hugs and prayers to anyone else affected by this.

I was just working with some templates this past weekend that she mailed me. This is just horrible. I have tears running down my face right now. Many prayers for both families

Hey Ginger,

Julie and I were close but not as close as her and Christina and others.
We didn't get to hang out often, except for OSP banter and phone conversations.

I'm sad that we won't get to talk anymore, but am not worried about the state of her soul in any way. In fact, whenever someone I know dies and I know they are not in danger of hell, I feel total joy and happiness... I even get a bit envious because they don't have to worry about life here on earth and all the trappings of this world aren't holding them down.

It saddens me that she went the way she did, but at the same time, she died doing what she has always done - trying to help and save others.

She died a very virtuous woman. Single and was saving herself for marriage... What an honor it is to have known such a strong person.


1 Thes. 4:
[13] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
[14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

So while we may be sad that it appears we have lost a friend, the truth is we haven't lost anything... we are just separated until God's time is fulfilled.

Those of us who are in the Lord will get to enjoy Julie's personality and friendship again very soon.

Ah, I had assumed, since you talked on the phone with her (she mentioned that, and thought very highly of you too, btw).

That night when she and I talked, she did mention Christina many times, and how they were friends:)

I didn't even know her, but I went to her site and just started crying. Such a tragedy for all involved. I pray for her family and friends and for the camper she was with. Sounds like she tried to help.

Please be careful around moving water! I kayak and moving water STILL scares the beheezus out of me.

I like the idea of a scholarship of some type as well in her name.

Would you allow me to use this photo for my blog? I will give you full photo credit of course. And the photo of the chair....

And Johnny... Can I use this photo?
(full credit of course).










And Jen... may I use this photo?
(Credit of course given to you).

Wow... I am praying right now too...

Thanks for the update...let me know if I can help in any way!

Ginger,

By all means, feel free to use my photos.
You don't have to worry about giving credit though...

Oh! My prayers are out for all of them. Tragedy. Comfort and mercy to all of their families--that can only come from our Almighty Creator.

How tragic! My prayers are with her friends and family.

I'm just so so so sorry to hear this. What a shock and a tragedy. Prayers to both families.

this is terrible. Please let us know if there's anything we can do for the family, Johnny.

Wow...I am just crying from reading that post about the little boy and the rain! I did not personally know her accept for here on OSP, but I am devastated for her family, friends and clients. We really should to something to honor her and her sacrifice for the girl she was trying to hold onto. Definately "hold the apple!"