Doris Balvanz

Doris Mae (Kaas) Balvanz, 94, of Grundy Center (formerly of Eldora), fell asleep in the arms of her Lord Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. Funeral services were set for Saturday, Sept. 16 at 10:30 am at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Eldora with visitation Friday, Sept. 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Abels Funeral Home in Eldora.

Doris was born April 6, 1929, to Curtis A. and Norma M. (Staff) Kaas in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. She grew up in Pigeon Falls, Wisconsin and graduated from Whitehall High School in 1946. She attended Luther College in Decorah studying to be an English teacher until she found a love for books and switched to Library Science, graduating in 1951. She was a librarian at the Eldora Library for a couple of years until she married Donald F. Balvanz, Nov. 29, 1953 in Pigeon Falls, Wisconsin.

Don and Doris made their home east of Eldora on the farm on the county line. Pigs, cows, milk cows and chickens kept them busy along with field crops. In 1954 they welcomed their first son Andrew; in 1956 Curt came along; Scott arrived in 1962; and a daughter, Marcia, joined them in 1969. In 1974 the family moved to the farm on Hwy 175 where they lived until 1987 when they moved into town.

Don and Doris enjoyed playing cards with their friends and going south in the winters to either Galveston, Texas, or New Smyrna Beach in Florida. Following Don’s passing, Doris spent more of her winters in Florida, moving there full time a few years later. She enjoyed being able to spend more time with her sister, Louise and husband Dave, and Louise’s family as they both lived in the same gated community in Melbourne. She hosted many dinners with her extended family in Florida and looked forward to visits from her Iowa family too.  In the spring of 2018 Doris moved back to Iowa into the assisted living at Arlington Place in Grundy Center and later moved to Creekside. Most important to her was her strong faith, love and visits from her family, playing cards, listening to music and reading books.

She is survived by her children Andy (Kim) Balvanz, Scott (Kelley) Balvanz and Marcia (Kelly) Kendall, all of Eldora; Curt (Alyce) Balvanz, of Indianola; 13 grandchildren,12 great grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; her sister Louise Hauge, of Franklin, Tennessee; sisters-in-law Mary Balvanz, of Eldora, and Jann Bradford, of Bakersfield, California.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents Curtis and Norma, husband Don, and great-granddaughter Krimsley.