Jean Norene Koenck

Jean Norene Koenck was born on August 22, 1947 in Denison, Iowa. She was the daughter of Earl and Ila (Bledsoe) Wiebers. Jean attended Ar-We-Va Community School and graduated with the class of 1965.

In 1966, Jean was united in marriage to Gary Carlson in Westside, Iowa. To this union, they were blessed with three children: Joel, Kristie, and Benjamin. They made their home in Kiron, Iowa. Later the couple divorced and Jean was blessed with a second marriage to Raynard Koenck on April 17, 1981, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The simplest pleasures in life brought great joy to Jean. She worked unselfishly as a housewife and mother for many years, always ready to extend hospitality to anyone who stopped by. Her pleasant personality was contagious to everyone she met. Jean, Ray, Kristie and Ben moved to Colorado in 1986 where she cleaned homes. After the kids graduated high school, Jean and Ray Moved back to Iowa where they lived in Harlan, Audubon, Westside, Boyer, and Lakeview. For health reasons Jean moved to Yankton, South Dakota in 2018 to be closer to her son Joel.

Ray and Jean built The Barn in Boyer together. She would cook a specialty of hers; hamburgers with her homemade buns for the customers. Many people would come from miles away to enjoy live music, dance, eat and drink. Jean was an artist and mostly painted nature scenes on everything from saw blades to barn boards and much more. Jean also enjoyed spending time outdoors, gardening, playing cards, dancing, bowling, fishing, playing softball and cooking. She liked to decorate her home with many plants and cook for Christmas. She was a member of TOPS, bowling league, and garden club. She was an avid fan of Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR and the Denver Broncos. Above all, she cherished her family more than anything.

Jean passed away peacefully on May 24, 2023 at the Majestic Bluffs Nursing Home in Yankton, South Dakota, attaining the age of 75 years. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Raynard Koenck; and younger brother, Earl "Butch" Wiebers, Jr.

Left to cherish her memories are her children: Joel Carlson and his wife, Jamie and their children: Emily, Jalie, and Ethan all of Tabor, South Dakota, Kristie and her husband, John Katt of Golden, Colorado; and Ben Carlson and his wife Kate and their children: Brinn and Wyatt all of Lutz, Florida; older twin sisters: Judy Hayes and her husband, Al of Marshalltown and JoAnn Coil and her husband, Richard of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; sister-in-law, Marna Wiebers; step-children: Mary Kay Sayre, Kathy Brown, Lori Koster, Kristi Kean, Alison Ehlers, Wendy Hugeback and Michael Koenck; several grandchildren, step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at the Huebner Funeral Home in Denison. Her funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at the United Church in Westside with burial to follow in the Westside Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the family.