Jennifer Bannwarth passed away at her home from an unexpected health issue on Thursday, March 12th, 2026.
A visitation with family present will be held from 5:00-7:00 PM on Wednesday, March 18th, 2026, at Miller Funeral Home - Westside Chapel (6200 W 41st St) in Sioux Falls, SD. Immediately following the visitation, a prayer service will start at 7:00 PM.
A Funeral Mass will take place at 10:30 AM on Thursday, March 19th, 2026, at St. Michael Catholic Church (1600 S Marion Rd) in Sioux Falls, SD.
The Prayer Service at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, March 18th, 2026, will be livestreamed.
To view the livestream of the Prayer Service, CLICK HERE.
Jennifer Louise Bannwarth was born May 12th, 1981, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Thomas and Kimberly (Belitz) Froke. Her family consisted of her parents and her siblings: Robert and Heather. Their family resided in Des Moines, Iowa; Anoka, Minnesota; and in rural Rutland, South Dakota. She graduated from Rutland High School in 1999. Following graduation, she went on to South Dakota State University. She graduated from the university in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology. She began her career at Sanford Labs in Sioux Falls, which included lab work and teaching for 18 years. She was promoted to supervisor of the lab in 2022, which she has held since. She was also involved in ASCLS (American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science) and MedTech.
On August 25th, 2006, Jennifer first met her future husband, Mike, at a wedding. They proceeded to date and got married on May 30th, 2009, at St. Therese Catholic Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The couple settled in their present-day home in Crooks, north of Sioux Falls, which became their family’s home with their 2 sons: Connor(15) and Nathan (12).
Jennifer loved traveling to the beach. She and Mike enjoyed the warmth, sand, ocean, collecting shells, sightseeing, and of course, each other. They also took a yearly trip to Florida with the boys, which we loved.
Jen loved plants, which led her to build a greenhouse under the deck on the back of their house, all by herself. Almost every night, she loved to listen to books on her phone while cross-stitching pictures for her work staff and others.
Everyone around always saw a bright self that showed seriousness when needed. Her emotions were always right, in every situation, and she was always a go-to for her loved ones.
Happy to share her life were her husband, Mike; sons, Connor and Nathan; parents, Kimberly and Thomas Froke (rural Rutland); brother, Robert Froke (Sioux Falls); and sister, Heather (Froke) Dressen (Dell Rapids), along with other family members of the Bannwarth, Belitz, and Froke family (cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, etc.). Preceded in death by mother-in-law: Sue Bannwarth; grandparents: Robert and Donna Belitz, and Harold Froke.
Written by her son, Connor, in cooperation with family.
Celebrate a life with the whole community in The Dakota Scout. Contact obits@thedakotascout.com to have your loved one remembered today.