Obituary of Judith Ann Kappel

Judith Ann Kappel (Jessen), 62, passed away peacefully in her home on Sunday, December 28, 2014 with her two sons at her side. Memorial services will be at 2:00 PM, Saturday, January 3, 2015 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Bloomfield, NE with Rev. Tim Koester officiating. Visitations will begin at 5 PM, Friday, January 2, 2015 with a video tribute and memory sharing at 7 PM at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory, Yankton. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. She was born February 3, 1952 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, South Dakota to Lyle and Melba Jessen. Judy was the third of seven children. They were raised on the family farm southeast of Lindy Nebraska. She was baptized and confirmed at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lindy, Nebraska. Judy enjoyed the country school she attended until the fourth grade when most small schools were closed, and she then went to Bloomfield public schools. She graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1970. After attending one year at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, Judy started working at the Human Services Center in Yankton, South Dakota. This is where she discovered her love for working with elderly women. This was understandable because she had a wonderful and patient mother, grandmothers, and great aunts that were her mentors. On October 20, 1974, Michael Kappel and Judy were married at sunset on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River in the Devils Nest. The reception was held in the Devils Nest Yacht Club. It felt more like a "Little House on the Prairie" wedding. Judy made her own non-traditional dress and one for her sister, Joleen, that stood up with her as her bridesmaid. The couple lived in Yankton where there first son, Mathew, was born. A few years later, they built the earth home west of Yankton that she continued to live in. This is also when their second son, Daniel, was born. As the boys grew older, Judy enjoyed volunteering for their school parties and other activities that needed additional help. For one of Matt's classes, she gave a presentation on seeds and plants. She got seeds from Gurneys Seed Company, and the kids went home with seeds that day. Dan had a part in a play at Dakota Theater and Judy was a stage mom and helped with their lines. The boys both participated in Cub Scout with Dan continuing on into Boy Scouts, and Judy was a constant, supportive, and thoroughly involved member of their respective Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs. Judy was instrumental in planning ski trips, camping trips, hikes, and attended most meetings. She was very proud of her boys and their accomplishments. Matt married Casey, and they gave her two beautiful granddaughters, Ireland and Reaghan. Judy was a charter member of the Yankton chapter of the Weston A. Price foundation. Her organizational skills, attention to detail and winning smile helped promote their message about locally produced nutrient-dense foods. Judy routinely shared produce from her beautiful garden, started plants and served delicious snacks at the monthly meeting. She was a lifelong learner - always asking pertinent questions and striving to learn more about nutrition and wellness. Her caring nature was evident in all of her interactions with others. She loved working in her garden. Judy would start her plants from seeds in the house and plant a huge beautiful garden. She spent many hours through the summer and fall canning and freezing all the excess produce from her garden. She had such a "green thumb" that she grew a twenty-three pound Kohlrabi this year in her garden. She lost her battle to ovarian cancer and would like to continue to educate everyone with some of the symptoms she experienced. All women react differently but some of her symptoms were bloating, pelvic and abdominal pain that feels like a torn muscle, groin pain, twinges in the ovary area, trouble eating or feeling full quickly, lower back pain, constipation, upset stomach, nausea, bloating, and heartburn. These are only a few of the many symptoms that could occur. Many times ovarian cancer is misdiagnosed and treated for digestive problems like Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Diverticulitis. Judy would always express that it was the simple things in life that were the most important to her. She would continuously spread her love with her caring heart and beautiful smile. In a final act of characteristic selflessness, Judy has donated her body to the University of South Dakota to aid in the education of future medical professionals. A quote sits in Judy's kitchen that sums up her approach to life, "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. Its about learning to dance in the rain." Judy is survived by her husband, Michael Kappel of Yankton, SD; two sons, Mathew Kappel with two granddaughters, Ireland and Reaghan, of Sioux Falls, SD and Daniel Kappel of Denver, CO; mother, Melba Jessen of Bloomfield, NE; three sisters: Sherry Steinkraus of Phoenix, AZ, Patty (Eldon) Kronberg of Bloomfield, NE and Joleen (Michael) Kemp of Payette, ID; three brothers: Warren (Pat) Jessen of Bloomfield, NE, Ralph (Theresa) Jessen of Bloomfield, NE and Kenneth (Beth) Jessen of Elkton, SD and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, Lyle Jessen. In lieu of flowers, Judy requested that tributes be made to: Mead Building Project, 610 Summit St., Yankton, SD 57078; Yankton RiverWalk Inc., P.O. Box 175, Yankton, SD 57078; Good Shepard Lutheran Church Garden Fund, Bloomfield, NE 68718; or Yankton Women's and Children's Center, 609 Goeden St. Yankton, SD 57078.