Natalie K. Simmons passed away suddenly and unexpectedly the morning of July 25, 2016. A gathering of family and friends will be held on Thursday, July 28, 2016 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation in Prior Lake. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, July 29, 2016 at 11:00 AM with visitation one-hour prior at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Prior Lake. Pallbearers will be Spencer Davis, Griffith Davis, Billy Whalen, Jeremy Simmons, Dereck Webber, Mike Orr, Matthew Orr and Chris Whalen. Father Tom Walker will preside.
On November 3, 1970, Tim and Kaye (Mullally) Jochim celebrated the birth of their daughter, Natalie Kins Jochim. She was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. When Natalie was only three years old, a music professional pointed out to her parents that she had perfect pitch. Natalie had been blessed with a wonderful gift, and she fully embraced it. Natalie was always singing in church and performing in school plays.
After graduating from Firestone High School, Natalie attended the University of Ohio-Akron. After two years she transferred to a school in Minneapolis. She made the move to Minnesota to pursue her passion for the performing arts. Natalie had a bold personality and was a born entertainer. She could inspire an entire crowd or connect with a person one-on-one.
Soon Natalie’s musical career brought her to an audition with a blues band in Minneapolis. As soon as she started singing, the band knew there was something special about her. The bass player in the band was Jacob Simmons. Natalie and Jake started out as bandmates and quickly became friends. That friendship soon blossomed into a romance, and they were married on January 31, 2000, in Golden, Colorado.
During their musical career, Natalie and Jake toured out of Manhattan, worked for Carnival Cruise Lines, sang at Pride Festivals, and even opened for The Village People. They did so many wonderful things together, but they were most proud of time they spent performing for our troops overseas. When Natalie was signing, she went by “Miss Jo.” Jake would say to her, “Miss Jo, show ‘em what you know!” And Natalie would light up the room with her powerful voice.
After many years of performing, Natalie and Jake settled in Prior Lake, Minnesota. They were blessed with two wonderful children, Ty and Madison. Natalie was such a loving and supportive mother. She was Ty’s biggest cheerleader and was always so encouraging of him and his talents. Madison loved to go shopping with her mom and always enjoyed getting their nails done together. As a family, they would make movies together. Madison was the star of the film, and Ty was the producer. Natalie was always right by their side encouraging them to follow their dreams. Natalie was blessed to also have three wonderful step-sons, Jake, Jr., Jeremy and Derick.
The skills that Natalie had acquired as the lead singer of the band transferred nicely to her next professional pursuits. Natalie was a temp employee for Midwest Lending working as a receptionist when the company noticed her talents and potential. They bought out her contract and promoted her to sales executive. Throughout the years, Natalie also managed a Super America for some time and later worked for Office Max. Natalie was so outgoing and always made special connections with the people she’d meet. Many of her customers would come back to the store just to visit her.
Natalie was truly a force to reckon with and an inspiration to many. On July 25, 2016, Natalie passed away much too soon at the age of 45. She was a wonderful singer, talented entertainer and a loving woman. She will be deeply missed and remembered always by her husband, Jacob Simmons; children, Ty and Madison; step-sons, Jacob, Jr., Jeremy and Derick; mother, Kathleen “Kaye” (Robert) Davis; father, Tim (Lena) Jochim; brothers, Griffith Davis and Spencer Davis; grandmother, Maria Mullally; other loving relatives, dear friends and many fans. There to greet Natalie in Heaven is her grandmother, Irene M. Jochim and grandfather, Dr. William Mullally.
Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation proudly serves the Simmons family.
