Mary Ruth Baldus

Mary Ruth was born Mary Ruth Olson on January 30, 1919, on a farm in the bluffs above the Mississippi River near DeSoto, WI. She was the fourth of eight children born to Sam G. and Ida (Eike) Olson. Mary Ruth left home to attend high school in LaCrosse, WI, and then earned her BA degree from Luther College in Decorah, IA. Mary Ruth's first teaching position was in Riceville, IA, where she taught junior and senior English and Latin and coached the junior and senior class plays. During WWII she was asked to add the position of high school principal to her job description. After the war Francis Baldus was hired as the new Vocational Agriculture teacher. They married in 1948 and moved to Sibley, IA, and new teaching jobs. Mary Ruth stayed home with her seven children until the family moved to Carroll, IA, in 1965. She taught junior high English at Holy Spirit School, retiring in 1982. She and Francis then spent winters in Florida, traveled to Europe, and continued cheering at Kuemper and Iowa State games. She volunteered many years at Holy Spirit and in the Carroll community before moving to Goldfinch Estates in Fairmont, MN in 2007. Mary Ruth will be remembered for her lovely cross stitch pieces, her many letters, her love of books, her educational influence, her deep faith, and her example of endless giving and praying. She is preceded in death by her parents, 5 siblings, and husband Francis. Still living are her sister Sue Starshak of Chicago, IL, brother John Olson of Denver, CO, sister-in-law Elaine Olson of Grove, OK, sister-in-law Norma Olson of Viroqua, WI, sister-in-law Joanne Baldus of Story City, IA, sister-in-law Dorothy Hammond of Ames, IA, and many nieces and nephews. She leaves seven children: Mary (Henry Blake) of Minnetonka, MN, Donald of Rochester, MN, James (Amy Dougherty) of Mound, MN, David (Remy) of Ames, IA, Phillip (Lynn) of St. Ansgar, IA, Jeffrey of Sioux City, IA, and Paul (Deb) of Fairmont, MN. Mary Ruth is survived by nine grandchildren: Jenna, Sam and Alex Blake, Nina (Todd Christianson), Rory Bork, Dustin and Joshua Baldus, Theo and Kira Baldus, and three great-grandchildren: Addelay, Bennett, and Cullen Christianson. Memorials may be made to Kuemper Catholic Schools Visitation and Prayers THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2014, AFTER 3:30 PM ROSARY AT 4:00 PM PRAYER SERVICE AT 7:00 PM SISTER MARY JO BALDUS, RSM, HARP OHDE TWIT FUNERAL HOME, CARROLL, IOWA Mass of Christian Burial FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2014, 10:30 AM HOLY SPIRIT CHURCH, CARROLL, IOWA REVEREND TIMOTHY JOHNSON, CELEBRANT REVEREND SUNNY DOMINIC, CONCELEBRANT REVEREND BRIAN HUGHES, CONCELEBRANT Lectors JOHN STEFFES DAVID BALDUS HENRY BLAKE Music MARY RUTH'S FAMILY Casket Bearers DONALD BALDUS JAMES BALDUS DAVID BALDUS PHILLIP BALDUS JEFFREY BALDUS PAUL BALDUS Interment MT. OLIVET CEMETERY, CARROLL, IOWA