Gloria Cecilia Baltes

Our beloved mother and grandmother Gloria C. (Bell) Baltes, of Mason City, IA passed away on November 25th, 2023 at the age of 75. A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, December 1, 2023, at the Champion Funeral Home in Osage with Father Raymond Burkle officiating Inurnment will be at the Osage Cemetery Visitation is from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Friday at the Champion Funeral Home. Gloria was born on March 25th, 1948 to Harley and Dorothy (Tobin) Bell in Charles City, Iowa. She grew up with 5 siblings and lived primarily in Rockford, IA during her younger childhood years. She received her high school education in Charles City. She worked several jobs waitressing during her younger years. On June 1st, 1968 she married Daniel Baltes and to this union 6 children were born. She was grateful to have spent the next couple decades doting on her children as a home maker. With her children mostly grown, she set off to employment with various area nursing homes until her retirement. Gloria was an introspective person, Catholic, and an avid animal lover from childhood. She could patiently tame the most feral of farm cats making them lap cats in no time. She had many dogs and cats that she loved greatly throughout her life. Her most current being her adored cat, Layla. She loved music and often had a walkman on her hip or the radio/records playing all day long. She loved her soap operas and many sitcoms. She loved to laugh, often saying that something she found funny was stupid, when what she really meant was quite the opposite. Throughout her life, her eyes lit up at the sight of her children and grandchildren, and with the same exuberance her voice lit up with each phone call while saying our names. She loved her family and her many friends. And when she loved, she loved deeply. She will be profoundly missed by her children, Michael Baltes, Patrick (Sabrina) Baltes, Jill (David Gernetzke) Baltes, Mark (Amber) Baltes, Amy (Douglas) Jensen, and Christopher (Kristy Tegtmeier) Baltes. Her grandchildren, Karina (Shawn Hansen) Baltes, Nathaniel (Caitlyn Stoneburner) Baltes, Kaleb Byers, Alex Baltes, Ellie Baltes, Elizabeth Tegtmeier, Jovie Jensen, Makenna Tegtmeier, and Felix Jensen. One great grandchild, Mia Baltes. Her siblings Marjorie Weiner and James (Bonnie) Bell. And many beloved nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents Harley and Dorothy Bell. Her brother, Marvin Alderman, her sisters Elizabeth Alderman and Joyce Theilen, an infant sister Norma Jean Alderman, her brother-in-law Donald Weiner, her nephew David Weiner, and her many adored pets. Schroeder Funeral Homes, Osage, 641-732-3706, www.schroederfuneralhomes.com