Ronn "Jean" Heaberlin

Ronn “Jean” Heaberlin went home to be with the Lord on August 4, 2026 after a long and valiant fight with cancer. The strength of her fight surprised all her doctors and it was only fitting that she should end her life the way she always lived it: with vitality, strength, and an adventurous spirit.

Ronn Jean was born to Kenneth and Joann Heldenbrand on December 14, 1954 in Des Moines. She attended Weeks Middle School and Lincoln High School where she was part of the first ever 6 on 6 girls basketball team at Lincoln and catcher on the softball team. Her love for basketball stayed with her throughout her life as she cheered on her granddaughters in state tournaments and religiously followed Caitlin Clark at the University of Iowa and Indiana Fever. After graduating from high school and attending Grandview University, she married Steven Heaberlin in 1974, becoming a step mother to Traci, and the births of Karrie and Cory followed. Jean was a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Des Moines for her entire adult life. There her children were baptized and confirmed and there she met many lifelong friends.

Jean was known to her family and friends as a person who could get things done. It wasn’t a surprise to come home to her and Steve’s house on Watrous Avenue on the south side of Des Moines and find the entire first floor painted a different color in the prior 24 hours. If Jean wanted to do something, she didn’t sit around and complain about it, she just did it.

In 1995, Jean and Steve purchased a lot and travel trailer at Lake Ponderosa. The site had been in her family for two generations prior. Although the only fish worth mounting on the wall was purchased at Menards and sang “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, it was the location of many great family memories.

Jean gave her 10 grandchildren a magical childhood. At Christmas time, every inch of her house was decorated. The exterior of her house was covered in every string of lights she could find of every color and size. Grandchildren who lived in the area knew that if they were home sick from school, all they had to do was send a text to Grandma, and she would bring them their favorite lunch. She bought small gifts for every holiday and sometimes could not help but give them out weeks or even a month before the holiday actually took place.

Jean never met a stranger. Whether she was sitting in the bleachers at a grandchild’s sporting event or simply walking through a Target parking lot, she was chatting with people and making friends. Even in her last visits to her oncologist, she would engage strangers in the waiting room in conversations. She wanted to get to know everyone. As her oldest granddaughter would say, “There goes Grandma Jean, always making another friend”.

Jean was preceded in death by many friends; her father, Kenneth; her mother, Joann; and her brother Rusty. Left to miss her are her siblings, Dennis (Peggy) Heldenbrand and Cheryl Quinn; her husband of 52 years, Steve; daughter, Karrie (Paul) Pingel and grandchildren, Kassidy (Brett), Alexis (Trey), and Lance; daughter, Traci (Darin) Van Gorp and grandchildren, Matthew, Adam (Leigha), and Kate; and son, Cory (Sally) Heaberlin and grandchildren, Eliza, Rosie, Ruby, and Gus.

A visitation will be held at Christ Lutheran Church, 6411 SE 5th Street in Des Moines on Sunday, August 9th from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Her service will be on Monday at 10:00 am at the church.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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