Jeanette C. Wieseler

Jeanette Catherine Wieseler, age 91 of St. Helena, Nebraska died on Friday, April 4, 2025 at Avera Sister James Care Center in Yankton, SD

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Family (Immaculate Conception) Catholic Church in St. Helena with the Rev. Marcus Knecht officiating. Burial will be at the Immaculate Conception cemetery in rural St. Helena. Visitation will be on Tuesday, at church, from 5-7:00 p.m. with a Vigil service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services on Wednesday. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home in Hartington, NE.

The Mass will be live streamed and can be viewed at www.facebook.com/WintzRay.

Pallbearers will be Jeanette's grandsons - Jake Wiepen, Nick Wiepen, Kale Wiepen, Alex Wieseler, Owen Wieseler, Jack Calkins, Nathaniel Wieseler, Colin Wieseler, Myles Wieseler and Mason Wieseler.

Jeanette Catherine was born on April 26, 1933 in Constance, Nebraska to Joseph George and Christine Elizabeth (Guenther) Schieffer. She grew up in Constance, NE and graduated from Holy Trinity High School in 1951. Jeanette taught in rural schools in Knox and Cedar counties. She married Leonard Anthony Wieseler on May 16, 1961 in Constance. To their union eight children were born and the joys of a busy life of managing faith, family and farm. Jeanette was a women of quiet faith in her role as wife and mother. Jeanette worked from sun up to sundown, starting with milking cows, making meals, tending garden, canning fruits, vegetables and meat and teaching her children farm life skills. She was an example of resilience, selflessness and frugality. In 1984, Jeanette began to work outside the home at age 51. She worked at Yankton Care Center and Golden Living Center in Hartington, NE. She worked hard and was intrigued by the world outside of the farm. From there, she never looked back.

In 1987, she suffered a brain aneurysm and was given a 50/50 chance of survival. Her surgery took place in Sioux City, IA and was very groundbreaking at the time. God intervened, and she was out of the hospital in 9 days and back to work in 10 weeks. At age 71, she started the final phase of her illustrious career at Arby's in Yankton, SD. She worked the drive thru and greeted everyone with her trademark smile. Jeanette worked her last shift on 6/25/24 at age 91. Jeanette enjoyed the simple pleasures in life with a nightly bowl of ice cream and was a repurposing and farm-to-table pioneer. A bread bag became a sandwich bag, Saran Wrap, or a rainboot. Every meal originated from the farm with meat, potatoes and a vegetable, and a cold cut sandwich was a culinary celebration.

Jeanette is survived by six children and spouses, Jan (Jeff) Wiepen of Omaha, LeAnn (John) Hecke of Shawnee, KS, Allan (Chrissie) Wieseler of Yankton, SD, Carol (Jon) Calkins of Inver Grove Heights, MN, Clair (Carol) Wieseler of St. Helena, Kelly (Beth) Wieseler of Lincoln; 17 grandchildren, 1 great granddaughter, sister Angela Mueller of Menominee, sisters-in-law Rosemary Schieffer of Yankton, SD, Marietta (Carl) Soukup of Sioux Falls, SD, Sr. Barbara Wieseler, SCL of Leavenworth, KS, Marcia (Jim) Green of Palm Coast, FL, and Cheryl (Jerry) Hisek of Yankton, SD.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard in 2014, twin infant daughters Nancy and Norma; her parents; brothers Sylvester Schieffer and Arthur Schieffer, sisters Irene (Fritz) Pinkelman, Lucille (Gerald) Arens; brothers-in-law Clarence Mueller and Gerald Wieseler and sister-in-law Rita (Tony) Koch.

Memorials are to be directed to Holy Family (Immaculate Conception) Catholic Church in St. Helena. 

P.O. Box 170 Fordyce, NE  68736