Rodney Jay Fee

Rodney Jay Fee, 83, of rural Ackworth passed peacefully from this life on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at The Village surrounded by family. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola, with the service following at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 2, 2025, and burial in the Sandyville Cemetery.
Rod, as most knew him, was born August 28, 1941, near Beech to Ralph and Jessie (Noe) Fee. He attended school in that community until the high school closed after Rod's sophomore year and he became a proud Pleasantville Trojan. After graduating in 1959, Rod attended Iowa State University, where he joined the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and earned his bachelor's degree in animal science. He was a loyal Cyclone fan the rest of his life.
Rod's career in agricultural writing earned him awards, including the Oscar in Agriculture, and sent him on assignments around the globe. He began as "the early morning news and markets boy" for WHO Radio, then worked in marketing for the Iowa Department of Agriculture. In 1966, he settled in at Successful Farming, where he worked as the swine editor and, later, beef editor, and met colleagues who became lifelong friends.
Rod married Teresa Kopriva on August 5, 1967, and eventually settled on the Fee family farm between Beech and Sandyville. The couple had three children: Danielle, Rachelle and Eric.
One of Rod's passions in life was working with Eric to operate Fee Farms Show Pigs, a family tradition that began in 1919 when Rod's parents were gifted a spot pig as a wedding present. Especially in the 1970s, business boomed, with Rod hosting multiple sales a year on the farm, sometimes with buyers from as far as Japan. In 2020, he was given the Master Seedstock Producer Award by the Iowa Purebred Swine Council during the Iowa Pork Congress. Every summer, he looked forward to watching 4-H and FFA kids show Fee pigs at the Warren County Fair, and showing pigs himself at the Iowa State Fair.
Rod enjoyed watching sports, particularly Iowa State, Pleasantville and Indianola, but most especially his grandkids' athletic, dance and jazz-band competitions. He lived for a bargain, whether perusing farm auctions or making stock-market trades, and any chance to catch up with old classmates or coworkers. For many years, he was active with the Warren County Democrats, often lending his truck to local parades and even making a run for the Statehouse in 2004.
If there's a cozy spot in heaven to talk farming, politics or the unbelievable play from last night's game, surely Rod has already found it – along with plenty of long-lost friends.
Rod is survived by his wife, Teresa; children Rachelle (Tom) Kjellberg and Eric (Jenny) Fee; and grandchildren, Jakob Kjellberg, Noah Kjellberg and Danielle Kjellberg. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Dr. Danielle Fee; parents, Ralph and Jessie Fee; infant twin brothers, Dale and Darl Fee; and sister, Wanda Fee.
Memorials in memory of Rod may be given to the family for a memorial to be decided at a later date.