Jennifer Jensen-Sweet, 48, passed away while surrounded by loved ones on Sunday, July 20th, 2025. She passed due to heart complications caused by a heart attack. Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 27, 2025, at the Iles Brandt Chapel from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 28, at 11:00 a.m., also at the Iles Brandt Chapel. Jennifer will be laid to rest at Sunset Memorial Gardens following the service.

Jennifer was born on August 22, 1976, to Ronald D. Shelley and Elaine M. (Reiste) Wilkerson at Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, IA. She attended Dallas Center-Grimes High School before fulfilling careers at Fareway, Chuck E. Cheese, Nationwide, and eventually at Mercy Hospital in the medical records department. Jennifer loved driving for Uber and enjoyed meeting the people she drove. She was very dedicated to whatever job she had at the time, always giving 100%.

Jennifer’s three boys were the highlight of her life. She was young when she had the twins and did everything she could to give them the best life, just as she did with her youngest son.

On July 25, 2020, Jennifer and Paula (Sweet) were married at Gray’s Lake in Des Moines. Jennifer loved her pool time and dogs. She was known to pet every dog she came across. She listened to Jelly Roll almost constantly and loved to eat the rolls at Texas Roadhouse. She was the biggest Kansas City Chiefs fan and loved her weekly shows. She was known to rattle off dates, times, license plates, and phone numbers from 30 years ago. Her mental acuity was present until the very end.

Jennifer is survived by her loving wife of five years, Paula; parents, Ronald Shelley and Elaine (Jesse) Wilkerson; siblings, Katie (Nathan) French and Eric (Jeri) Shelley; sons, Christopher (Amberly) Wilson, Jeremy Wilson, and Isaac Katnik; stepchildren, Ryan Sweet, Stephanie Dowd, Tyler Leister, and Alex Leister; step-grandchildren, Joshua Dowd and Bryxton Meier; as well as many other loved ones. She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Dale and Wynona Shelley, and Richard and Jeanette Reiste; aunt, Shirley Reiste; uncle, Gary Ogren; and her precious dogs, Lilo and Rody.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

Jennifer’s funeral service will be live-streamed at the bottom of this page. The link will appear about 10 minutes before the service begins.

Arrangements by Iles Brandt Chapel.