Jay Rollefson, 58, of Story City, formerly of Forest City, passed away at the Homes of Bethany in Story City on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, after a prolonged liver illness.
Funeral services will be at 1:30 P.M. on Monday, February 10, 2025 at Peace Reformed Church, 1907 200th St, rural Garner, IA with Reverend Matthew Dawn officiating.
The service will be live streamed on the Schott Funeral Home website. Go to http://www.schottfuneralhomes.com, click on Jay’s page, and you can find the link on his Tribute Wall.
Visitation will be held from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. prior to services at the church.
Burial will be held after lunch and fellowship at Oakland Cemetery in Forest City.
Jay Alan Rollefson was born on July 24, 1966 in Forest City, IA to Marlyn and Margaret (Boland) Rollefson. He graduated from Forest City High School with the class of 1985. Jay attended Waldorf College and later the University of Northern Iowa, receiving a secondary math teaching degree in 1989.
Jay married Dani Leemkuil in Cerro Gordo County. This union lasted nearly seven years. Jay then began a nearly 30-year journey of careers with Service Master, North Central Human Services vocational program, Caseys in Lake Mills, Yankee Candle Company, and Bills Family Foods/Hy-Vee in Forest City. Jay could be found anywhere a sporting event was going on. He refereed many middle-school basketball, volleyball, and baseball games in the area. He was the sports writer for the Lake Mills Graphic newspaper for a short time. He loved his Vikings, Hawkeyes, Cyclones, and Panther sport teams and would root for them each week from behind his television.
During Christmas of 2022, Jay found himself struggling with various health issues and was placed first at the Pillars of Cedar Valley in Waterloo from January to September 2023 but then moved to his eventual permanent home at Bethany Manor in Story City. There he was loved and well cared for by multiple staff and friends alike. Jay’s greatest hope was his living faith in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. This confidence was realized on the evening of February 4th when he went home to be with his Lord.
Those left to cherish Jay’s memory is step-mother Shirley Rollefson of Forest City; brother, Jon (Laura) Rollefson of Ellsworth, IA; sister-in-law, Kandi Rollefson of Ellaville, GA; niece, Lorissa (Bill) Ehrlichman of Waukee, IA; nephew, Justin (Oakley) Rollefson of Tempe, AZ; nephew Jeremy (Olivia) Rollefson of Playa del Carmen, Mexico; and niece Marli Rollefson of Ellaville, GA; great niece Myla Rollefson, and great nephews Malcolm and Nicholas Ehrlichman along with many relatives and friends.
Jay was preceded in death by his mother Margaret in 1980; father Marlyn in 2006; and brother Joel in 2018.
A special thanks to all the staff of Bethany Manor in Story City for their impeccable care and friendship to Jay during his time there. Any memorials can be sent to Bethany Manor, 212 Lafayette, Story City, IA 50248.
schottfuneralhomes.com