Kimberly Diane CHELESVIG

CHELESVIG, HASTIE, OLSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:45

Kimberly Diane "Kimba" Chelesvig
February 20, 1962 --- March 20, 2022

Kimba Chelesvig passed away peacefully on March 20, 2022 at MercyOne Hospital in Des Moines after a battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 60 years old.

Kimba was a fun-loving and free-spirited woman, who had a larger-than-life personality. Upon meeting someone through friends or simply by chance, her warm smile and infectious laugh instantly won over her new acquaintance. And after a few moments of pleasantries, Kimba would likely begin a barrage of unmerciful teasing, all in good fun, that always endeared her to her newfound friend. Virtually no one was exempt from her banter. She loved to tell how, when she was a server at a restaurant in San Antonio, she was assigned a table whose party included the late U.S. Senator and former astronaut John Glenn. Kimba informed Senator Glenn that she knew the exact date of his historic space flight, as it was the day on which she was born. Then she proceeded to tell the Senator that had her mother named her something like "Glenda" to commemorate the occasion, she might have been tempted to accidentally spill the Congressman's dinner all over him – to which the Senator howled with laughter.

Food and drink were an important ingredient in Kimba's life, as she loved to enjoy both with friends and family. Inviting her to dinner to your house eventually lead to her taking over some element of the cooking with great ease, and always to great results. She loved sharing her encyclopedic knowledge of food, often when her friends and family were cooking and needed some quick advice. Including the time when a friend called and asked if she should cook pasta in her slow cooker. (Kimba's response: "What? Hell no.")

Kimba loved traveling to warm climates, especially to resorts in Mexico and Hawaii. When at home in Des Moines, she enjoyed working in her yard, and loved spending time with her beloved dog Dixie June.

Kimberly Diane Chelesvig was born on February 20, 1962, in Clarion, Iowa to Maurice and Joyce Chelesvig, and grew up on a farm near Eagle Grove. In 1973, she moved with her family to Belmond, Iowa, and graduated from Belmond HS in 1980. Although she was not voted "most likely to study to be an optometric assistant after high school" by her classmates, she did just that, at North Iowa Area Community College. And after working as an OA in Des Moines for a short while, she threw caution to the wind and moved to San Antonio, Texas, where she began her career working in restaurants, first as a server (to U.S. Senators, among others) and later as a chef. Her talents in the kitchen landed her a job to train chefs for a new restaurant concept, Romano's Macaroni Grill, and she opened new stores in Florida, Texas, and Missouri. After leaving that job and moving to Hawaii briefly, she returned to the Midwest, settling in Missouri, where she opened a successful specialty catering business. Several years later, she missed the cold and snowy weather of Iowa, and moved back to Des Moines in 1994. In 1996 she took a year to study massage therapy, and then began a 23-year stint as a premier massage therapist in Des Moines. Along the way she obtained her license to sell real estate, which was her occupation at the time of her death.

Kimba was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents. She is survived by her brothers Jeff Chelesvig and Brad Chelesvig (Trudy Hastie) of Des Moines, her stepfather Clifford Olson in Mesa, Arizona, and many uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends.

Her family is grateful to those who gave great comfort and care to Kimba during her last months, especially Denise Linn, Margie Eppley and Trudy Hastie. And offer a special thanks to the incredible team in the Cardiac Care Unit at MercyOne Des Moines for their compassion and care of Kimba during her stay there.

A celebration of Kimba's life will be planned for later this year. And those wishing to may direct memorials to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

March 31, 2022
Des Moines Register --- Des Moines, Iowa