Brenda Jess, 85 of New Sharon passed away Sunday afternoon, April 20, 2025 at MercyOne Medical Center in Des Moines. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 am on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at the New Life Fellowship in New Sharon. Burial will be held in the Friends Cemetery in New Sharon. Visitation will begin after 12:00 pm Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at the New Life Fellowship with the family present from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wednesday Night Ministries (G2C/PROS). Holland-Coble Funeral Home of New Sharon is in charge of arrangements.

Brenda Jane Jess, the daughter of Floyd and Vera (Ahler) Bush, was born December 2, 1939 in Oelwein, Iowa. She went to school and graduated from Starmont High School in 1958. After graduation, Brenda went to beauty school in Waterloo, where she met Val Jess who was doing his apprenticeship in Barbering. They lived next door to each other in an apartment and one day she helped Val shovel snow from his car and after that the romance grew. Following beauty school, Brenda worked her trade in Jesup Iowa. Val and Brenda were married on November 15, 1959 on an icy day in Strawberry Point. To this union two sons were born, Jerry and Jeff. They lived in Waterloo and after Val finished his apprenticeship, they were looking for a place to start their business and ended up moving to New Sharon where they set up a barber and beauty shop. Brenda ran her beauty shop for 50 years before retirement. She enjoyed playing cards and her flowers where she had flowers in the house almost all of the time. Brenda was a faithful member of the New Life Fellowship Church in New Sharon, Faith Circle, Prairie Knolls Country Club and she was on the New Sharon Capri Theater Board which she helped to get the theater up and going again.

Brenda has had several surgeries and a body full of hardware with the last surgery God said "enough is enough" and took her home on Easter April 20, 2025 surrounded by her family. Her legacy will be honored by her husband of 65 years, Val of New Sharon; her sons, Jerry (Kelly) Jess of Taintor and Jeff (Joann) Jess of Center Point; her three grandsons, Auston (Morgan) Jess of West Liberty, Brandon (Ashley) Jess of Marion and Cole Jess of Center Point; her two great grandchildren, Josie and Jonny; her sister, Mary Jo Bush of Aurora, Colorado; her brother, Bill (Cindy) Bush of Callender, Iowa; her sister-in-law, Karen (Don) Twedt of Nevada; along with many other nieces, nephews and friends.

Brenda was preceded in death by her parents, Floyd and Vera Bush.