Jason Ward

August 23, 1979 - March 25, 2021

Jason Ward, age 41, of Oskaloosa, passed away on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at the Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa. He was born on August 23, 1979 the son of Billy and Tae (Kim) Ward in Union City, Tennessee. He attended Northeast High School in Clarksville, Tennessee and graduated with the Class of 1997. After graduating, he attended Austin Peay State University in Tennessee and earned his Bachelors of Science in Public Administration and an Associates of Science in Liberal Arts. On December 31, 2010 he was united in marriage to Jennifer Davis at her family’s home in Fremont, Iowa. Jason worked for DHS in Tennessee before moving to Iowa in 2009 and working at Wal-Mart in Ottumwa. He then took a job at the Shoe Dept. in Oskaloosa before going to work for Pella Corp. Lastly, he returned to work for DHS. Jason loved to be outdoors, he enjoyed fishing, hunting and playing paintball. He was a talented pool player and an avid Tennessee sports fan, especially the Tennessee Vols. He served as a youth group leader at a church and enjoyed his time helping the children. Above all else, Jason was a kind, generous and faithful man whose family, especially his children, was the center of his life. Jason is survived by his wife, Jennifer Ward of Oskaloosa; his three children, Gregory, Conner and Ashton Ward; his parents, Billy and Tae Ward of Tennessee; a sister, Mary (Peirce) Wickens of Tennessee; an uncle, Johnny Smith; 2 cousins, Joshua and Johnny Ashton Smith and his nephews, Evan, Isaac and Veronica Wickens. He was preceded in death by 2 children in infancy; his grandparents; his aunt, Reba Smith and his best friend, Louis A. Rodriguez III. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 3, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. in the Bates Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Burial will follow services at Highland Cemetery in Eddyville. The family requests those attending to wear nice casual dress attire. According to the rules put in place by the Iowa Department of Public Health, proper social distancing and reasonable personal protective equipment is advised for attending a religious public event. The funeral service will be posted at the Bates Funeral Home’s YouTube Channel for those who are unable to attend. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 2, 2021 starting at 11:00 a.m. at the Bates Funeral Chapel with the family present from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Friday evening to greet relatives and guests. Memorials may be made to the family to be used to plant a willow tree in Tennessee in memory of Jason.