Tesa K. Cates

Rockwell City Tesa K. Cates 47, passed away Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City, following a hard-fought battle with Covid-19. Private Family Funeral Service will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, November 21, 2020 at St. Pauls Lutheran & Presbyterian Church, Rockwell City, with Pastor Kelley Pedersen officiating. A Public Graveside Service will follow at Rosehill Cemetery, Rockwell City. The Funeral Service will be live streamed on St. Pauls Lutheran & Presbyterian Church, Rockwell City Facebook Page and shared on Palmer & Swank Funeral Home Facebook Page. A public come & go viewing will be 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at the Palmer & Swank Funeral Home, Rockwell City. Masks are required and only 15 people at a time can be present inside the funeral home. Tesa is survived by her husband, Jeff, her son, Gage, and her daughter, Menley, as well as her mother, Sharon Blasey, and her father, Steve Miller, two brothers, nephews, nieces, in-laws, and friends. How do you best know Tesa? Is it as the woman behind Jeff for the last 21 years, the one he speaks of with pride and a mischievous grin? Or maybe you know her best as Gage and Menley's mom, the one who has raised them with impeccable character and integrity, never misses an event, and bakes her famous sugar cookies for special occasions. To some, she is the rock of the family, organizing all the things, doting on the babies, and making sure everyone else's needs are met before she rests. If she's ever been your best friend, she's the one who knows you better than you sometimes know yourself. She somehow always has time to talk, and on the rare occasion she offers advice, you know it as true wisdom. Perhaps at some point in your life you were lucky enough to be a child in her care. You know the comfort of her hug, just how she cuts an apple, that she oils you when you're squeaky, reads the best books on repeat, and always has any little thing you might need at her fingertips. Some know her best as a meticulous business owner, working all hours to deliver quality abstracting services. Others as a neighbor and life-long Rockwell City resident and member of St. Paul's Lutheran & Presbyterian Church, always there to lend a helping hand. Still others know her best as a classmate of the Rockwell City-Lytton Class of 1992 and a Buena Vista University graduate; a dancer, a teacher, smart, well-liked, kind and a friend to all. Tesa Cates leaves behind a legacy of many who are well-loved, many who would describe her as the least selfish person they have ever known. She lived her life intentionally, with ever-enduring strength and dignity, and a deep faith, refusing to let her family be controlled or limited by fear. For all these things, and many more, she will be desperately missed and forever remembered. Together, we mourn that she was taken from us much to soon, and we celebrate that God has wiped away her tears, relieved her burdens, and gives her eternal rest. SERVICES Private Family Funeral Services 10:30 a.m. - Saturday November 21, 2020 St. Paul's Lutheran & Presbyterian Church Rockwell City, Iowa The Funeral Service will be live streamed on St. Pauls Lutheran & Presbyterian Church, Rockwell City Facebook Page and shared on Palmer & Swank Funeral Home Facebook Page OFFICIATING Pastor Kelley Pedersen CASKET BEARERS Gage Cates Chad Blasey Jerredd Elken Jered Finley Cory Ridgely Jonathan McChesney Honorary Casket Bearers Scot Blasey EJ Blasey Corey Campbell Jon Cates VISITATION A public come & go viewing 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, 2020 Palmer & Swank Funeral Home, Rockwell City. Masks are required and only 15 people at a time can be present inside the funeral home. INTERMENT Burial will follow the Church Service at Rosehill Cemetery Rockwell City, Iowa *The Public is Welcome to the Graveside Service