Gerald Leo Waltz
March 13, 1931 — December 20, 2015
Gerald Leo Waltz was born on March 13, 1931 to Leo and Cecelia (Goeser) Waltz in Panama, Iowa. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary Our Lady of Fatima in Panama and attended St. Mary’s Catholic School.
After high school, Gerald went to work at the State Bank of Portsmouth in the Panama office. In 1952, he entered the United States Marine Corps and served in Korea. He received his honorable discharge in 1954 and returned to his job at the bank in Panama.
On May 9, 1959, Gerald was united in marriage to Janice Pauley at St. Mary’s in Panama. They became parents to four children: Paul, Colleen, Cheryl, and Tim. In 1960, they moved to Portsmouth when Gerald transferred to the bank’s main branch. He was the executive vice president when he retired in 1992 after forty-three years with the bank. He also started the Waltz Insurance Agency.
Gerald was an active member of his community and church. He served as Mayor of Portsmouth and then on the city council, was a member of the volunteer fire department, serving as fire chief, was a member of the American Legion Post No. 547, Shelby County VFW Post No. 941, and a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus. At St. Mary’s, he sang in the choir and served as a trustee and on the finance council.
His hobbies included bowling and enjoying the horse races; he owned greyhound racing dogs for several years and loved to play golf.
Gerald died at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, Iowa on Sunday, December 20, 2015 at the age of eighty-four years, nine months, and seven days. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Vincent Waltz, and sister Geraldine Waltz.
He is survived by his wife of fifty-six years Janice Waltz of Portsmouth, Iowa; children: Paul Waltz and Karen Finerty of Johnston, Iowa, Colleen and her husband Dean Kloewer of Panama, Iowa, Cheryl and her husband Pete Mott of Omaha, Nebraska, and Tim Waltz and Meg Armstrong of Spirit Lake, Iowa; seventeen grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; other family members and many friends.
After high school, Gerald went to work at the State Bank of Portsmouth in the Panama office. In 1952, he entered the United States Marine Corps and served in Korea. He received his honorable discharge in 1954 and returned to his job at the bank in Panama.
On May 9, 1959, Gerald was united in marriage to Janice Pauley at St. Mary’s in Panama. They became parents to four children: Paul, Colleen, Cheryl, and Tim. In 1960, they moved to Portsmouth when Gerald transferred to the bank’s main branch. He was the executive vice president when he retired in 1992 after forty-three years with the bank. He also started the Waltz Insurance Agency.
Gerald was an active member of his community and church. He served as Mayor of Portsmouth and then on the city council, was a member of the volunteer fire department, serving as fire chief, was a member of the American Legion Post No. 547, Shelby County VFW Post No. 941, and a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus. At St. Mary’s, he sang in the choir and served as a trustee and on the finance council.
His hobbies included bowling and enjoying the horse races; he owned greyhound racing dogs for several years and loved to play golf.
Gerald died at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, Iowa on Sunday, December 20, 2015 at the age of eighty-four years, nine months, and seven days. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Vincent Waltz, and sister Geraldine Waltz.
He is survived by his wife of fifty-six years Janice Waltz of Portsmouth, Iowa; children: Paul Waltz and Karen Finerty of Johnston, Iowa, Colleen and her husband Dean Kloewer of Panama, Iowa, Cheryl and her husband Pete Mott of Omaha, Nebraska, and Tim Waltz and Meg Armstrong of Spirit Lake, Iowa; seventeen grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; other family members and many friends.
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