James Temple

James Joseph Temple, 57, of Newell died Dec. 19, 2025, at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake.

A Celebration of Life will take place Tuesday, Dec. 23, from 5-8 p.m. at Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. The family kindly requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to support the family with unexpected expenses.James was born June 24,

1968, to Edward and Janet (Todd) Temple in Sioux City. The Temple family moved to Newell when James was in grade school, and it was the place he would call home for the rest of his earthly life. He was confirmed in 1982 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and graduated from Newell Providence in 1986. After graduation he went to work for his father at Temple Construction. James also worked for the City of Newell and Newell Cooperative Elevator, before eventually joining Buena Vista County Secondary Roads, where he would remain a dependable and devoted worker for more than 20 years. James started with the county on the tiling crew, eventually working his way up to tile crew foreman. He also operated the grader in the wintertime out of the county shed in Newell before being promoted to year-round grader operator, a position he held until his untimely death.

James looked for various opportunities throughout his life to give back to the community he so dearly loved, including serving as president of the Newell-Fonda Athletic Boosters and board member of the Newell Public Library. In his free time, James loved spending time with his family. Whether it was camping or snowmobiling, he was always looking for ways to create fun memories for his entire family. He also enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, especially for local poker runs and a couple trips to Sturgis in the Black Hills.

All through his life, James remained a loyal Nebraska Cornhusker fan and enjoyed watching Husker sports. He was an avid eight-ball pool player, a skill he developed playing snooker as a young kid. In his younger days, he also enjoyed playing basketball in the local men’s league. More than anything, James loved his family, and he took great pride in all of his children’s accomplishments. When he wasn’t coaching his children’s sports teams, you could find him cheering them on from the bleachers. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife Wendy Rebhuhn of Newell; children: Andrew (Brooke) Temple of Norfolk, Neb.; Courtney (Jeff) Wheeler of Elkhorn, Neb.; Collin Temple of Iowa Falls; Sidney Burbridge of Newell; Braxton Temple of Newell; grandchild August Temple of Norfolk, Neb.; brother Ricky Peters; uncles and aunts: Kenneth (Karen) Todd of Sergeant Bluff; Norma (Ronald) Rappe of Waukee; Phyllis Todd of Sergeant Bluff; Yvonne Harrington of Sioux City; parents-in-law, Mike and Deb Rebhuhn of Albert City; extended family and many friends.

James was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Janet Temple; brother Kelvin Peters; and infant sister Lisa Temple.