Julie “Jewels” Cossman-Tinsen passed away on the morning of January 23, 2025, at the age of 67. Julie was born on April 17, 1957, in Washington, DC, to Robert and Rose (Cassetori) Cossman; she had two siblings. Julie was raised in New England in her early years, and then moved to California, where she graduated from Narbonne High School in 1975.
After graduating high school, Julie got a job with American Express and began taking night classes to become a Veterinary Technician at Feather River College in Quincy, California.
Julie went on a blind date in Spokane, Washington, where she met the love of her life, Thomas Tinsen. They married on June 2, 1986, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and shared over 38 years of marriage until Julie’s passing.
She had a lifetime of accomplishments, the greatest of which was being a full-time mother to her daughter and three sons. Julie always had an affinity for horses. She loved showing, breeding, training, and packing into the back country. She and her husband even co-owned and operated The Montana Mule Company, Mickey’s Packing Plant, and various other operations. Julie finally retired as the Head of Medical Supply Procurement at a local healthcare facility.
Jewels was an adventurous soul with many hobbies, as she was always up for anything. She enjoyed sailing, sky diving, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, ziplining, and was an avid skier. One of her greatest adventures involved sailing from the southern islands of California past the Panama Canal on a 40-foot wooden sailboat multiple times. Julie was always happy and could find the positive in any situation. Her unwavering passion was always her family, her friends, and her animals.
She is survived by her husband, Thomas Tinsen (Great Falls); her sons, Colter Tinsen (Jessica Tinsen) (Highwood, MT), Tyler Tinsen (Great Falls, MT), and Logan Tinsen (Kallie Tinsen) (Great Falls, MT); her daughter, Amanda Tinsen (Thomas Wright) (Polson, MT); sister, Sue Cossman (Santa Fe, NM); brother, Robert Cossman (Battleground, WA); and six grandchildren.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.
