In Memory of Jason William Fineran

Jason William Fineran, Age 50, of Kiron, Iowa, passed away suddenly on November 1, 2024, at his residence of Kiron, Iowa.

A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, November 11, 2024, at the St. Martin’s Catholic Church of Odebolt, Iowa.  Deacon Butch Stone, Pastor Cindy Johnson, and Pastor Trish Underberg will officiate. Committal Services will follow in the Bethel Lutheran Cemetery of Kiron, Iowa.

 A Visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., on Sunday, November 10, 2024, at the St. Martin’s Catholic Church of Odebolt, Iowa.

The Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Odebolt Iowa, is in charge of the funeral arrangements.  Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com

A man of the land, avid sports fan, food enthusiast, a man of God, devoted son, brother, husband, father, funcle, and friend. These are just a few words that begin to describe Jason William Fineran.

Almost a New Year’s baby, Jason was welcomed into the world on December 31, 1973, by his parents William “David” and Ellen (Simpson) Fineran, in Denison, Iowa. He was one of four children and grew up on a farm outside of Odebolt, Iowa. He was brought to his faith through baptism and later confirmed in his faith at the St. Martin’s Catholic Church of Odebolt.

Jason received his education in the Odebolt-Arthur Community School District and graduated with the class of 1993. A lifelong farmer, Jason started farming in high school and continued throughout his life. On September 4, 1999, Jason married Kelli Jean Barry in the Sacred Heart Church of Manilla, Iowa. The couple made their home near Odebolt and were blessed with two children Kendal and Jenner. The couple built their dream home outside of Kiron in 2009 on the family farm. Adventurous and curious by nature, Jason loved to travel with his family (especially to Branson), try new foods, attend concerts, celebrate and create family traditions, and he lived with the motto “Live your life and do the things you want to because you never know if you’ll get another chance”. He was known for his “Go Big or Go Home” attitude.

An avid sports fan, Jason could be heard rooting on his favorites the Broncos, Bears, Iowa State, and NASCAR. He even started his own business Die Cast King, selling diecast cars on eBay. He earned the title of the host with the most, throwing parties, having “Chopped” competitions, decorating, and getting together during the holidays with family and friends were some of Jason’s favorite times of the year. In 2015, Jason built “Fort Fin”, a cabin in the woods for relaxation, and had just finished a tree house with his son Jenner in the summer of 2024. Jason was the “Funcle” to his nieces and nephews, whom he loved as much as his own kids. He was also well known for his generosity, kind nature, and big heart. He would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need and never met a stranger. Jason had a way of making all those around him feel appreciated and loved. He would greet you with a smile that could light up a room and he genuinely cared about the conversation that would follow.

Jason liked researching all things farming, especially marketing, crunching numbers, and predicting the weather with “Farmer Finny’s Forecasts”. To relax, Jason enjoyed Clash of Clans and was proud of his rankings. Everyone looked forward to Fineran’s Famous Fireworks display that he would gear up for each Fourth of July. After his father David's retirement, all of the farming transitioned to Jason.  Jason served on the FAC board in Arcadia as well as the Members Mutal board in Storm Lake. With a strong interest in the environment, Jason won the Environmental Steward in 2022 with the Sac Co SWCD Cleo & Myrtle Johnson Award for his outstanding accomplishments in conservation. He also was awarded the Conservation Farmer of the Year award for Region 2 of Iowa. Jason was recently nominated to the state soil conservation and water quality committee. Before his passing, Jason had just completed his 2024 harvest, and he took Kelli, Jenner, and some of Jenner’s friends to celebrate in Branson at Silver Dollar City. 

A man of faith, in 2019, Jason was ordained as a Synodically Authorized Minister for Bethel Lutheran Church of Kiron. He loved to share the word of his Lord and Savior and help those around him find their faith. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows, it becomes the largest of garden plants and a tree.” Jason’s faith was infectious and those around him began to grow not only in friendship but in their faith. 

On November 1, 2024, Jason took his Lord and Saviors hand and left behind his wife of 25 years, Kelli and their children Kendal Paige Fineran and Jenner Matthew Fineran all of Kiron, IA; mother Ellen Fineran of Odebolt, IA; siblings Jeff (Kim) Fineran of Wall Lake, IA, Suzanne Strain of Rockledge, FL, and Sherri (Vincent) Raffensberger of Papillion, NE; parents-in-law Patrick and Janene Barry of Irwin, IA, brothers-in-law Lynn (Bobbie) Barry of Manilla, IA, and Kurt (Laura) Barry of Omaha, NE; sister-in-law Megan Mack of Grimes, IA; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.

Jason was preceded in death by his father William “David” Fineran; grandparents Dwight and Artie Simpson, and William and Mary Fineran.