Julie Yepsen, 65, of Jefferson, died of COVID-19 on October 12, 2021, at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Private interment for the immediate family will take place in the Jefferson Cemetery. A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring of 2022.
Survivors include her husband Tom Yepsen; daughter Laura (Matthew) Krohne; son Jared (Tasha) Yepsen; grandchildren Braxton Yepsen, Keaton Yepsen, Benton Yepsen, Briggs Krohne, Elin Krohne, and Ellory Krohne; and sisters Jan Siglin and Jill (Ty) Spatz.
Julia Anne Burk was born July 2, 1956 in Jefferson. Her parents were John and Jeane Burk and she later had two sisters, Jan and Jill.
Julie accepted Christ at a Billy Graham crusade at the Jefferson Theater in the late 1960s.
She was a 1974 graduate of Jefferson High School and earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in education at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, MO.
Julie and Tom were married in 1978 at Central Christian Church in Jefferson and she began her teaching career at Four Mile Elementary School in the Southeast Polk School District.
Tom and Julie moved to Jefferson in 1979 where she taught special education in the Jefferson junior high school. They moved to Pocahontas in 1981 and Julie taught in the Havelock-Plover School District until their children, Jared and Laura, were born and she retired from public school teaching.
The family returned to Jefferson in 1986 and from then on Julie’s teaching primarily focused on her church’s children’s ministry. Later, she included adult Bible studies and made numerous mission trips across the United States and around the world. Those trips included visits to Israel, Jamaica, Greece, Canada, India, Ukraine, Uganda and Kenya.
Julie greatly enjoyed simple pleasures in life such as weekend road trips, family vacations, Sunday afternoons in Ames, bike rides and walks around Jefferson and Friday afternoon garage sales.
The family vacation this summer on Lake Michigan was a highlight of her life as all of her children, their spouses and grandchildren were present. She also looked forward to her weekly Monday Bible study group in Des Moines.
Please get vaccinated.
Memorials in memory of Julie should be designated to the family. Memorials will be distributed to Christian organizations to alleviate children’s suffering. Condolences may be mailed to Tom Yepsen, 707 South Wilson, Jefferson, IA 50129, or left at Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home. Also, online condolences may be left on the Slininger-Schroeder web site: www.sliningerschroeder.com
