March 29, 1989 – February 11, 2026
Jesse Austen Gaskill, 36, of Ames, passed away on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his family.
Jesse was born March 29, 1989, in Boone, the son of Gary Gaskill and Lynne (Tait) Weldon. He graduated from Boone High School in 2007, then graduated from Des Moines Area Community College with his Associate in Arts degree.
In 2008, Jesse met Kylee Gildersleeve. The two were wed on February 14, 2020, in Ames. Together, they have two cats, Jack and Trice.
He took his job as “Uncle Jesse” very seriously, even changing his profile picture on Facebook to Uncle Jesse from the show “Full House” every time he gained a niece or a nephew.
Jesse was willing to try anything new, whether it was creating new recipes, trying eccentric food challenges, or traveling with his family. Jesse and Kylee could be found traveling anywhere from looking for Bigfoot in Seattle, Washington to watching Cyclones play football in Ireland.
Jesse adored anything Iowa State. He loved tailgating with his family and friends, and loved meeting new people. Jesse never met a stranger.
He loved fishing, golfing, coffee, and craft beers. He enjoyed playing board games and video games. Jesse and Kylee played “Pokemon Go” together, driving through Ames at five miles an hour. He had a hunger for knowledge, and anything he didn’t know, he wanted to learn; and anything he knew, he wanted to teach.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Lynne Weldon; maternal grandparents; and paternal grandparents.
Jesse is survived by his wife, Kylee Gaskill of Ames; his father, Gary Gaskill of Boone; step-mother, Teresa Gaskill of Boone; step-father, Bob Weldon, of Cherokee; two brothers, Chris (Sam) Gaskill of Boone and Ben Weldon of Boone; two sisters, Shayna Weldon of Seattle, WA, and Delaney (Jakob) Crook of Boone; and nine nieces and nephews, Kailin, Sianna, Kami, Slader, Jameson, Patty, Austyn, Mara, and Lettie.
Visitation will be Sunday, February 15, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel, 1006 6th Street, Boone. Inurnment will take place Monday, February 16, 2026, at 12:30 PM, at Sacred Heart Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone.
schroedermemorialchapel.com