Obituary of Jesse Kilgore

A memorial service for Jesse Kilgore, age 40, of Lake Park, Iowa, will be held at 10:30 am, Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford.  Visitation will be Tuesday, July 18, 2023, beginning at 5 pm, with the family present from 5-7 pm, at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials in memory of Jesse.

Jesse Dalton Kilgore, the son of Richard and Karen (Heerde), was born on October 29, 1982 in Topeka, Kansas. When he was thirteen, the family moved to the Iowa Great Lakes Area where Jesse attended Okoboji High School.

On January 8, 2010, Jesse was married to Katherine Graef in Spirit Lake. They were blessed with three children, Dalton, Nathan and Claire and they were the light of his life. He loved spending time with his children above all else.

Jesse was super personable and outgoing, enjoyed music, motor sports, fishing and had a soft spot for animals, especially his pets. Jesse loved cooking and worked as a cook in area restaurants. 

Jesse passed away July 13, 2023 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at forty years of age.

He is survived by his children, Dalton, Nathan and Claire Kilgore; former spouse, Katie Kilgore; mother, Karen Kilgore; siblings, Shane (Barb) Kilgore and Bambi Williams; aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Jesse was preceded in death by his father, Richard Kilgore; grandparents, Julius and Myona Heerde and Ted and Regina Kilgore; one uncle, Terry Lynn Heerde.