
Jody Ellen Hoebelheinrich
About:
Jody Ellen Hoebelheinrich March 19, 1959 - June 5, 2025
Jody Ellen Hoebelheinrich, 66, passed away peacefully in her home on June5, 2025. On March 19, 1959 Jody Ellen Beckwith was born to Leroy Owen Beckwith and Helen Edith Reno Beckwith at the naval air station in St. John's Newfoundland, Canada.
.Her father Leroy was a proud navy man, and growing up Jody also proudly coined herself a "navy brat." Throughout her childhood she moved every few years from St John's Newfoundland, CAN to Colorado Springs, CO, to Coronado Island in San Diego, CA, to Washington DC where her father worked in the Pentagon, to the shipyard of Bremerton, WA to Fallon, NV to finally settling in Sheridan, WY upon Leroy's retirement in 1975. Jody remembers her dad saying, "We're Home!" when they arrived in Sheridan, and she thought to herself, "Home? I've never been here before!"
Wherever they moved, Jody's mom, Helen, insisted that the kids take swim lessons because she herself did not know how to swim. Jody loved the water! She fit the title of "beach baby" and found her way to the water often. In junior high she took a synchronized swimming class and in high school, she enjoyed participating on swim team. Even as an adult, Jody enjoyed teaching her children how to do headstands and spins in the pool!
Another thing that Jody loved was music. She played the flute and piccolo skillfully in the marching band starting in junior high. She later passed her flute to her daughter who also learned to play in middle school. The flute case stood out as it was the only one with a bumper sticker on it that said "FLY NAVY!"
In1977 Jody graduated from Sheridan High School and started working toward one of her dream jobs of becoming a florist. She described going into Babe's Flowers every day and asking if they needed some help. Finally they handed her a broom and said, "Here, sweep the floor!" She continued to come in to sweep until eventually she earned her way to the artist table and started making bouquets and flower arrangements. One of her young fantasies was to own her own flower shop and call it "JB's", which was her initials, but also stood for "Just Because."
Instead of chasing her flower shop dream, Jody found herself chasing a little baby boy when Kevin Andrew Germann was born in 1978 after Jody and Kevin's dad, Gary Germann were married in 1978. Although Gary and Jody's marriage did not make it, Jody always loved the Germann family and continued to see them as extended family.
In1982 Jody married Gaylon Elmer Hoebelheinrich and his 3 sons, Joe, Neil, and "Little" Gaylon. She loved being a boy-mom and describes many fun memories of camping, hunting, fishing, and of course days at the lake. During this time, Jody gave birth to Theresa Ellen Hoebelheinrich in 1983, her only daughter. Jody never used the term "step"-sons. They were all always her sons. Even in her late adult life, decades after Jody and Gaylon divorced, when asked how many kids she had, she would always say 5. And she offered her loving ear anytime they would call her to chat.
Jody's natural love for children flourished during this season. Along with her own 5 kids, Jody cared for other littles in her home day care business called "Hoby's Home Care Center" located in Ranchester, WY.
Soon for reasons beyond her control, Jody found herself a single mom. She quickly dove into her new role with grace and impenetrable fortitude. She attended First Baptist Church along with her parents, Leroy and Helen and quickly got the kids involved in Sunday School and Awanas. During this time, Kevin was baptized at First Baptist Church and publicly confessed his faith in Jesus Christ.
Jody also continued to walk in her role as Aunt Jody, sister and cousin to many of the Hoebelheinrich clan. Once family with Jody, always family.
To become a better provider for her children, Jody attended Sheridan College between 1987-1990 obtaining skills in business accounting, pre-nursing, and medical records.
After college Jody moved with her two children, Kevin and Theresa, to Port Orchard, Washington to get a fresh start and be closer to her siblings. She began working at Cottesmore Nursing Home in the laundry room. This job allowed her to bring her children to work with her as needed, so Kevin and Theresa made fun memories of rolling across the room on laundry dollies.
Soon Jody had shown herself faithful in the laundry department and seized an opportunity to advance to the Medical Records department where she was able to use the skills she learned in college. In a reference letter, her supervisor described her as patient, kind, honest, capable, caring and always helpful to those around her.
While in Washington, Jody continued to work to instill a life of faith in to her children. She made sure they went to church. She once arranged a meeting with a pastor to help explain the gospel message to her 7year old daughter, Theresa. Theresa prayed with this pastor and her mom to receive Jesus as her Savior. In the summertime, Jody took her family to a Christian family camp called Island Lake Camp where the kids began to hear and experience more of the atmosphere of faith.
Jody also attended a Basic Youth Conflicts Seminar that focused on biblical principles of character development. She picked up many skills and resources which she put to use in her own home with her own children. A curriculum called "Character Sketches" was routinely read to the children while they colored pictures and soaked in the message.
During this season Kevin began to find his love of sports by joining the peewee football team. Jody was one proud mama, cheering from the stands and pointing out Kevin's number to little Theresa. For years to come Jody and Theresa loved seeing Kevin rise to the top in every sports challenge he took on. Baseball, football, wrestling, track and field, Kevin excelled in them all! Through sports, he learned the value of hard work and practice, but also to implement the character training lessons he absorbed from his mother Jody and his grandparents. As an adult, he has spread this legacy of kindness as a father, a coach and now as a missionary to Romania.
After two years in Washington, Jody realized that the big city life was not the way she wanted to raise her children. So she packed up and brought her little family back to Sheridan, Wyoming. At this point, Jody was able to purchase her own home in a location where Kevin and Theresa were able to walk together to school.
Once back in Sheridan, Jody was able to make use of her medical records skills in a couple different offices and fill in with time at Babe's Flowers where she was always welcome. However, her heart for her children and others led her to start her own home day care service in her home. She named it JKT Home Care, which stood for "Jody", "Kevin" and "Theresa." She enjoyed being able to be home when her kids got home.
Asher children aged and the need for more income grew, Jody landed a job at Lincare in 1994 working as a service technician who delivered oxygen to patient's homes and serviced their equipment. The labor was hard work, but she didn't mind as she knew she was providing for her family. She wore steel-toed boots everyday, shared in the on-call rotation, and once broke her finger when it got smashed in between two tanks. She often joked that ever since then, she was unable to play the flute because her middle finger would get stuck in an upright position!
Soon she progressed from working as a tank delivery driver to managing the front office with her medical records skills. During the 9 years she spent at Lincare, she had two different bosses. Both of them spoke highly of her. Descriptions such as dependable, dedicated, committed to loyalty and ethical values, a team player, and having a warm and contagious personality were all included in the reference letters.
In Sheridan, her spiritual journey continued. She found herself being scooped into a loving church family called Sunrise Assembly of God. Here she made lifelong bonds which journeyed through much of life with her. Later Jody followed her daughter to Bethesda where she served in children's ministry, received more ministry training, attended women's conferences, and made more lifelong friends.
Theresa graduated high school in 2002 and went off to college. During this time Jody started working at the Wyoming Girl's School. While there, she was able to save a teenage girl from hanging herself. She received an award for "Exemplary Effort" in time of crisis.
In2004 Kevin married his college sweetheart, Elizabeth. Jody did the bouquets for the wedding. This was the beginning of a new chapter for Jody called "grandkids!" Kevin provided 4 beautiful chapters entitled, "Kaelyn," "Lily," "Joy" and "Sophia." Jody made many fun memories playing games with the girls, watching dance recitals and homemade plays and celebrating them as often as she could.
In2006 Theresa returned from college with a degree in Biblical Studies and lived with Jody for a season. During this time, Jody was once again working as a preschool teacher, loving on littles, but her back was starting to lose strength Jody cheered Theresa on as she went on a mission trip to China, but after her return, Theresa soon supported her mom Jody through a very long but effective back surgery. The surgery gave Jody back much mobility. Then Jody and Theresa spent time traveling and going to Christian conferences together from Billings to Bozeman to Kalispell to Kansas City all the way to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Both ladies learned and grew much from this season.
After the back surgery Jody also started working alongside Theresa at Pat's Hallmark shop in downtown Sheridan. Jody was a favorite to many regulars and always brought a cheerful smile to both employees and customers.
In 2018 Theresa found and married her sweetheart, Scott. Jody helped do the flowers for this wedding as well. On the wedding day, Jody instantly gained a new son whom she adored, two new grandchildren, Jacob and Alec, as well as two great-grandchildren, Rihauna and Saige. Jody instantly jumped into her role as supporting grandmother, consistently cheering on the boys on face book and showing her loving support whenever she had the opportunity. Theresa later brought forth two new chapters named "Boaz" and "Amadeo. "Grandma Jody was their best friend as she would come over often with no other agenda except to spend time with them blowing bubbles ,playing preschool learning games and singing silly songs. She has even been sighted crawling on the floor growling like a bear with them, dragging her oxygen behind h er.
Through out her lifetime, her heart burned with a fierce love for Jesus Christ and a desire to share that love with all who were hurting or weak. Her house was a place of love, laughter, and safety. A place where "Holy Ghost Parties" spontaneously erupted. A place where several individuals found refuge from looming homelessness when she opened up her home to them for a season. A place where one would always feel welcome to be honest and have a good heart to heart.
Jody wrestled with health struggles on and off for years, but over and over depended on her Lord Jesus for healing. Many times she bounced back from what seemed like impossible situations. Through it all, she maintained an attitude of gratefulness and servanthood. She continued to look for opportunities to be where she might be needed. She showed up at every game, dance or piano recital, ninja class, and church event that she could. She loved to show up and bring her whole heart in with her, shining with her smile, laughter, and lovingkindness.
Jody is preceded in death by her parents, Leroy and Helen Beckwith as well as many beloved aunts and uncles. Jody will be greatly missed by the family she left behind: her children Joe (Heather) Hoebelheinrich, Neil (Jennifer) Hoebelheinrich, Gaylon (Audra) Hoebelheinrich, Kevin(Elizabeth) Germann and Theresa (Scott) Adell and all their families, Her sister Tina and brother-in-law Jody, Her brother Jeffery and sister-in- law Marilyn, and many many friends which she considered family.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held in her honor at Bethesda Worship Center in Sheridan, Wyoming July 8th at 11 a.m. Flowers maybe sent to BWC at 5135 Coffeen Ave, Sheridan, WY. Charitable gifts may be donated to Students for Life Ministries or Themissioninc.org ,writing the name "Germann's in Romania" in the memo line.
Champion Kane Funeral Home has been entrusted with local arrangements.
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