Jenny Wiederholt-Pine lived an active life, working a full-time job, parenting her three children and pouring her heart into her community, according to family and community members.
“She was just so outgoing, friendly and bubbly,” her father Charlie Wiederholt said. “One hundred miles an hour everywhere.”
Wiederholt-Pine, 44, died “suddenly but peacefully” Saturday morning at Regina Medical Center, according to an obituary.
Wiederholt-Pine, of Miesville, was a Hastings school board member, district soccer coach, restaurant co-owner, an avid equestrian, wife, mother, daughter, friend and extremely hard worker, Charlie Wiederholt said.
He said the cause of her death is unknown. The week of her death she’d been in Arizona for work and called about feeling sick one day, but then shared that she felt fine in the days that followed, he said. She returned home on Thursday and took her kids to sports practice Friday and went for a long walk.
Saturday morning, she was found collapsed on a bathroom floor, her father said.
Hastings schools connection
Wiederholt-Pine attended Hastings High School, where she played soccer. In 2003 she received a bachelor’s degree in marketing and mass communication from Winona State University.
Shortly after college Wiederholt-Pine started her career, climbing the ladder quickly with Blue Cross Blue Sheild, her father said. After leaving to start her own insurance company, Wiederholt-Pine got a job as a senior benefit advisor with Kraus Anderson Insurance, where she last worked.
In 2023 she was elected as a director for the Hastings school board – serving the school district in which she grew up.
“She was just outstanding, she had a can-do attitude and ‘whatever it takes to get things done was her mindset,'” Hastings Schools Superintendent Dr. Tammy Champa said. “She operated at 110 percent always, always wanting to do what’s right for our students and our community.”
Wiederholt-Pine also coached youth soccer with Hastings Football Club United.
“Jenny was an amazing athlete at Hastings High School for soccer,” said HFC United administrator Shannon Elliott.
According to Elliott, Wiederholt-Pine began coaching in 2013 for her daughter’s age group. She continued coaching and became a co-coach with Elliott’s husband. Then in 2022, she took over the head coach spot for the girls U-13 age group.
“She was engaging, fun and my daughter Parker would say she was the coach who made her feel like there was nothing she couldn’t do,” Elliott said.
The last team Wiederholt-Pine coached was the U-13 boys regional team – her youngest son’s team.
“At HFC we lost someone who cared about the community,” Elliott said.
Elliott said Wiederholt-Pine was the “popular coach,” beloved by the kids she’d encourage with her strong leadership presence. Wiederholt-Pine’s voice could be heard from the stands as she cheered on players, Elliott said.
“She was amazing at developing underdeveloped players and giving them confidence,” Elliot said.
Elliot said Wiederholt-Pine was deeply involved with the community and still came to coaching organized and ready. Sometimes, she’d come straight from work, still wearing her professional attire, Elliot said.
Elliot said she was funny, quirky and a trustworthy person; she said she begged Wiederholt-Pine to coach for her daughter’s team this spring.
“Her attitude was ‘I’m going to do what’s right for kids,’ common sense no matter where it falls in line,” Elliott said. “And I believed her, she would always stand up for what was right.”
Supper club family
Wiederholt-Pine was also an accomplished equestrian and won in the saddle circuit breach division in 2024.
“I’ve been involved with horses all my life and she had the bug, too, and started riding as a little kid,” Charlie Wiederholt said.
The Wiederholt family also owns the Wiederholt Supper Club in Miesville, about 11 miles south of Hastings.
Charlie Wiederholt said he and his brother were the third generation to operate the restaurant for 42 years. His son, son-in-law and Wiederholt-Pine bought the restaurant and have been running it since.
“Her life was working and then spending time with the kids right after work,” her father said.
Those who knew her said that Wiederholt-Pine and her family were known to invest in the communities around them.
“She’s just known as someone who gets things done and is a respected leader in this community and has a long family history of being in this area,” Champa said.
Charlie Wiederholt said all of his memories of his daughter are positive and what he misses most is having her come home.
“Whenever she walked in a room, she lit the room up,” he said. “She was so good with people and so kind.”
Friends and family are invited to a public memorial from 3 to 8 p.m. Feb. 17 at Starkson Family Life Celebration Chapel, 3075 Vermillion St., Hastings. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 18 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 23955 Nicolai Ave, in Miesville.