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Jesse A. Bartels, 44, of Durango, Iowa, died suddenly on Thursday, March 1, 2018. He was surrounded by his beloved wife, Rachel, stepdaughters Sophie, Gracie, and Lillie, and his mother, brothers, and extended family.
Visitation will be from 2 to 8 pm Thursday at the Egelhof, Siegert and Casper Westview Funeral Home and Crematory, 2659 Kennedy Road. Memorial Mass will be 10 a.m. Friday at Christ the King Chapel, Loras College. Inurnment will be in St. Joseph Cemetery, Rickardsville.
Jesse was born October 10, 1973, in Dubuque, IA, son of Robert and Cynthia (Arlen) Bartels. Jesse graduated from Dubuque Senior High School.
In true Jesse style, he married his loving wife, Rachel, in an informal backyard ceremony on July 2, 2010, in Peosta, IA. Even after a short engagement, Jesse knew he wanted to be a part of the lives of Rachel and her girls.
Jesse owned and operated Bartels & Company, an electrostatic painting company, and One Mean Bean, a coffee business he ran with his younger brother, Dustin. Jesse was a tireless worker, had old-man strength in spades, and possessed a sneaky wit. Jesse was a skilled carpenter, having made many wonderful pieces of furniture for his friends and family. He bled Dodger blue and was an avid Packers fan. He especially adored his stepdaughters, his nephews, and nieces. Jesse died while working on home improvements in anticipation of the birth of his niece. Jesse was very caring and generous to family. He had a special bond with his cousin and workmate, Alex Zankle.
Finally, Jesse loved and adored his stepdaughters. He took them in as his own. He enjoyed making them laugh by having karaoke contests with them and parading around the house in his cowboy hat while dancing. He enjoyed playing catch with them and he even went as far as going out to buy them the “perfect bat.” He was goofy, playful, and very protective of them.
Those left to cherish his memories are his wife and stepdaughters; his mother, Cynthia Bartels, of Dubuque, IA; siblings, Betsy (Jeremy) Tupper, of Farmington, MN, Ben (Jenn) Bartels, of Cascade, IA, Dustin (Kirstin) Bartels, of Dubuque, IA. Also surviving are his mother-in-law, Kathy (Dan) Schmit, of Dubuque, IA, Ken (Cathy) Schmitt, of Guttenberg, IA; sisters-in-law, Heather (Brian) Ehlinger, of Davenport, IA, Sarah (Cory) Clasen, of Peosta, IA, Ami (Chad) Guler, of Hazel Green, WI, Caitlin (Jason) Olsen, of Waunakee, WI, Angie (Nick) Naseman of Colorado, Marcy Tierney of Blair, NE; brothers-in-law, Josh Lynch of Dubuque, IA and Eric Schmit and Wesley Schmit of Omaha, NE; and many nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Raymond and Mary Bartels; maternal grandparents, Charles and Geneva Arlen and sister-in-law, Sam Lynch. Finally, he was preceded in death by his beloved father and best friend, Robert (Bob) Bartels. Rest in peace, Jesse. We love you.
The family requests in lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Jesse’s name to the Glaucoma Research Foundation or University of Iowa Children’s Miracle Network.