Jennifer Lynn Koppie Sells

Jennifer Lynn Koppie Sells, 39, of Granville, Iowa passed away Thursday August 4, at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa.      Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2011, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Granville with Rev. Richard Ball officiating & Msgr. Kenneth Seifried, Rev. Clem Currans & Rev. Eugene Murray concelebrating.  Burial will be in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Granville.  Visitation will be anytime after 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 8, 2011.  There will be a parish rosary at 5 p.m., and vigil prayer service at 7 p.m., all at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Granville.  Services have been entrusted to Fisch Funeral Home & Monument in Remsen.      Jennifer was born August 8th, 1971 in Emmetsburg, Iowa to Gary and Linda (Moser) Koppie.  Jennifer graduated from high school in Emmetsburg, Iowa.  She continued her education at Simpson College in Indianola and Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology.  Jennifer graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in 1994 receiving the Woodward award for highest academic achievement.        During college, Jennifer was employed as a Water Patrol Officer for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources from 1991 through 1993 and worked on Lake Okoboji in Dickinson County.      After college, Jennifer started her career as a Recreation Safety Officer for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources starting December 27th, 1993.  Jennifer then served as the State Conservation Officer assigned to Plymouth and the west ½ Cherokee counties starting in 1999.  Jennifer was injured in a motor vehicle accident that caused her to retire from the Iowa DNR on December 29th, 2005.      Jennifer loved her work for the Iowa DNR and especially enjoyed working with the hunter education instructors in northwest Iowa.  She cared deeply about our natural resources and worked tirelessly to protect them during her time with the DNR.       Jennifer was a homemaker and cherished the time she was able to devote to her family and home.  She loved her time spent swimming with the kids at the pond and helping the kids with their many 4H projects.      Jennifer was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Granville and served on the School Board of Spalding Catholic Schools.      Jennifer enjoyed spending time with her family, riding and working with her horses, gardening, antiquing, and spending time in the outdoors.      Jennifer is survived by her husband John Sells and children Jacob, Anna, Anthony, Leo and her dog Abbie all of Granville; her parents Gary and Linda Koppie of Emmetsburg, IA;  her brother Brent Koppie of Cherokee; a nephew Matt Koppie and wife Stephanie of Terril, her parents in-law Mike and Judy Sells of Washington, Ia;  brother in-law David Sells, wife Shannon, and their children Caitlin and Catrina all of Crawfordsville, Ia;  brother in-law Louie Sells of Washington, Ia; and numerous aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and cousins.      Jennifer was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents William and Pearl Moser of Emmetsburg; paternal grandparents Tony and Leota Koppie of Emmetsburg;  uncles Leo Koppie of Sacramento California, Larry Koppie of Elgin, Illinois; Lloyd Moser of Cylinder, Kurt Koppie of Emmetsburg; Janice Moser of Rodman.