Joann "Jody" Kalkwarf

Joann E. "Jody" Kalkwarf, 79, of Rockwell City passed away Monday, September 14, 2026 at St. Luke's Hospital in Sioux City.

A Celebration of Life will be 11:00 am Saturday, October 3, 2026 at the Spirit of Hope Church. A visitation will begin 1 hour prior to the service at the church.

Joann Cole was born March 22, 1947 in Des Moines. She lived in Fonda with her parents and later moved to Sioux City where she graduated from Sioux City Central High School. After graduation, she attended the University of Nebraska for two years and transferred to the University of Iowa where she graduated with a Nuclear Medicine Technology degree. She was employed with the College of Medicine conducting research when she met her husband who was in the College of Dentistry. The couple was married on December 27, 1970 and moved to Rockwell City after his graduation from dental school in 1971. Joann operated an in-home daycare after the birth of her two sons and taught GED students in the evenings. After her sons had grown, she taught in the science department at St. Edmond High School and worked with behavioral students in the Pomeroy-Palmer school district. She then worked at Sanofi Pharmaceuticals in Fort Dodge. She returned to school and earned her LPN degree and worked at Shady Oaks Care Center and at Opportunity Living on the weekends for over 20 years. In 2007, she worked as a dental assistant for Larry until the couple retired on April 1, 2026.

Jody loved to travel. The couple went on many trips to Italy, Austria, Prague, South America, Hawaii, Las Vegas and numerous trips to New York City. She spent a week in Russia and was there the day the USSR collapsed as a nation. She thoroughly enjoyed theatrical arts. Broadway productions were a favorite pastime and she was a season ticket holder at the Civic Center in Des Moines for over 20 years. She was an avid reader and was addicted to buying fabric for her love of quilting. She has a green thumb and was very proud of her green beans, tomatoes and herbs. She enthusiastically supported rescue animals and had several cats of her own over the years. Jody will be remembered as a very giving woman who supported and visited many charities, shut-ins and people in need.

She is survived by her husband, Larry Kalkwarf, son Lane (Angie) Kalkwarf and their children, Blake, Jacob and Jesse, son Chad Kalkwarf, siblings Mary Cole (Layne) Johnson, Sheryl Griffith, Ricky (Haruko) Cole, Dorothy Cole, Becky Searfoss, Pauline (Dick) Larson, sisters-in-law Diane Cole, Sharon Swenson, Marla (Mark) Swanson and Janice (Donald) Moore, brother-in-law Kevin (Julie) Kalkwarf, numerous nieces and nephews and her cat Kiers.

She was preceded in death by her parents Leonard and Maxine (Acheson) Cole, brothers Tery Cole, Brian Cole, Howard Cole, and David Cole, sister Barbara Cole, brother-in-law Stan Griffith and Arnie Swenson and her beloved cats Gray, Sissy and dog Penny.

Memorials may be left to family discretion.