Jennifer Lee Wixon 

May 11, 1973 – October 31, 2025

Jennifer L. Wixon passed away on Friday, October 31, 2025, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD, surrounded by love, family, and friends who adored her.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, November 6th from 5–7pm at Heartland Funeral Home, Brandon, SD. Family and friends are invited to gather, share stories, and remember Jennifer in the way she would have loved most — with laughter, good company, and maybe just a little friendly competition. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Sioux Falls Humane Society.

Jennifer Lee Wixon was born on May 11, 1973, in Brookings, SD. Jennifer was the oldest child of Terry and Randi Wixon. Her early years took her from Brookings to St. Louis, then Pierre — where her three younger siblings joined the family — to Kansas City, and finally to Brandon, SD, just in time for high school. It was there she met her lifelong best friend, Shanna, on day one of new student orientation.

Jennifer played varsity volleyball at Brandon Valley High School and graduated in 1991. She spent her adult life doing what she did best — connecting with people. She worked a variety of jobs, often in human resources or training, where her friendly personality and sense of humor made her a natural fit. She was also a longtime employee of Stubbies, where she collected an entire extended family of friends.

Jennifer made people feel at ease anywhere she went. She was always the first to offer whatever she had — or to start rattling off the latest shenanigans that made her chronically late to everything she ever attended.

She was the kind of person who, after a funeral, could lift the mood by picking up a baby cousin and saying, “Look at these chubby dimpled thighs… just like your Aunt Jennifer’s.” The kind of friend who’d help you fix your hair in the bathroom — and then coat it with at least a dozen layers of hairspray for good measure.

She was the kind of mom who bought every last box of your Girl Scout cookies the night before the deadline, who helped you pick out outfits and then borrowed them later, and who never quite got over the jelly shoes that were stolen from the 26th Street McDonald’s play place. (And if she could add one message here, it would be: to whoever took those jelly shoes — you’d better watch out.)

Jennifer was also the mom cheering a little too loudly in the bleachers — the one shouting, “He’s just a little baby that didn’t do anything!” when a foul was called on one of her six-foot-tall “babies.” She went all out on graduation open houses, complete with farmhouse lanterns and greenery, because “it’s not even that much, and I still have more boxes of decorations in the car.” She always bought double the birthday gifts for her boys “so no one felt left out,” even when they were well into their teens. And despite promising “this is the last time,” she replaced every Nintendo DS that met its untimely end — whether it was eaten by a dog, buried in sand, or chewed up by the snowblower.

Jennifer was deeply competitive, whether it was a Christmas Bingo game or one of the many sporting events of her two athletic boys. Following and cheering them on was one of the greatest joys of her life — and everyone around her knew it. Her enthusiasm, her shouts from the stands, and her fierce pride in her kids will be remembered forever.

Jennifer was beautiful inside and out, known for her radiant smile and sense of style. She loved getting her hair and nails done, always put together and fashionable, no matter the occasion. She had a soft spot for animals, especially her four beloved dogs, and shared many happy years with her long-term partner, Chris, enjoying time at Lake Mary with their children.

She was a loyal Kansas City Royals fan from her childhood in Missouri and never stopped rooting for them — or for the people she loved.

Jennifer will be deeply missed by her children, Brittany (James) Raymer, Tyree Nave, and Tayden Nave; her parents, Terry and Randi Wixon; her siblings, Krista (Scott) Dubbe, Angie (Mathew) Sewell, and Andrew (Amanda) Wixon; her long-term partner, Chris Ostby and his daughters, Cienna Ostby and Alyssa Ostby; and her nieces and nephews, who adored their fun Aunt Jennifer. Jennifer also leaves behind countless friends, especially bestie, Shanna Gramm, who will never forget her quick wit, warmth, beautiful smile, and unstoppable spirit.

Jennifer will be remembered exactly as she was — mischievous, funny, fashionable, fiercely loving, and deeply human. And that’s exactly how she’d want it.

Share this post: