Jason "Spider" Heller

Jason Mark “Spider” Heller, son of Richard and LaRae (Weems) Heller, was born on July 17, 1973, at Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison, Iowa. He grew up in Manning and attended Manning Schools before beginning work for several local farmers. Later, he moved to Carroll, where he was united in marriage to Jodi Wernimont. During that time, he worked for Gute Tree Service for a short period. Following their divorce, Jason relocated to Fort Dodge, Iowa, where he worked for Fort Dodge Asphalt for several years. In the off-season, he stayed busy by pushing snow and delivering appliances. He also worked for Marsh Concrete, based out of Otho, Iowa.

Spider had a lifelong passion for motorcycles and rode whenever he had the chance. He loved spending time with his family, especially his nieces and nephews, and could often be found turning wrenches and getting his hands dirty. Known for his great sense of humor, Jason was a jokester who enjoyed reminiscing about the past. He also had a deep love for his dogs, Kujo and Jasper.

On Saturday, August 16, 2025, at the age of 52, Jason passed away as the result of a motorcycle accident near Castana.

He was preceded in death by his infant son, Cody Ryan Heller; his parents, Richard and LaRae Heller; his brother, Darwin Betterton; and his nephew, Jeremy Short.

Jason is survived by his siblings: Kaelyn (Kurt) Hass of Atlantic; Paula Brinegar of Centerville; Gayla (Declan) Gross of Earling; Sheila Smith of Gowrie; Shawn (Roy) Wells of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Darcy (Jude Fox) Betterton of Irwin; and Darrin (Kathy Davidson) Heller of Ceresco, Nebraska; half-brother, Mike Heller of Council Bluffs; sister-in-law, Sue Betterton of Caldwell, Idaho; stepchildren: Heather Snopek of Ames, Kristin Lacina of Des Moines, and Tim Ritt of Des Moines; special friend, Jolene Halligan of Fort Dodge; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

Visitation with Family Greeting Friends will be held on Thursday, August 21, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Ohde Funeral Home in Manning. Funeral Services will be held on Friday, August 22, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., also at the funeral home. Burial will take place in the Carroll City Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the family.

The family extends their heartfelt thanks to everyone for the kind thoughts, words, and gestures of support shown during this difficult time.