Ossian, Iowa - Gertrude Holthaus

February 20, 1931 - February 28, 2026

Gertrude Holthaus, age 95, of Ossian, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Ossian Care Center surrounded by family and on her husband Art's birthday.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 420 E Main Street, Ossian, Iowa, with Rev. Henry Huber presiding. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 9, 2026, at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church. A rosary will be held at 3:15 p.m. before the visitation at the church on Monday evening. There will be no visitation before the service on Tuesday morning at the church, please come in and be seated.

In lieu of flowers, memorials and donations can be made to Ossian Care Center and WinnMed Hospice.

Gertie was born on February 20, 1931, in Calmar, Iowa to Albert and Helen (Ruzicka) Shindelar. She graduated from Calmar High School in 1949. She met Arthur Holthaus on a double date with her sister Marie. Art and Gertie were married on August 30,1950. The couple farmed near Ossian. Thirteen children were born to this union.

Gertie was a member of the St. Francis DeSales Rosary Society and a long-time volunteer at the Ossian Senior Hospice, now the Ossian Care Center, before moving there herself in May 2017.

Gertie's garden was one of her most cherished and frequented places. She loved to tell you all about it and share the blessings that came from her wise and tender care. It was rare that you left after a visit with Gertie without something. Fresh produce and baked goods were common. Or later in life, some of the things that she wanted to downsize, but thought one of her children or grandchildren would appreciate.

Gertie enjoyed raising chickens for laying and butchering (much to the dismay of her children). She raised chickens into her eighties. Gertie loved taking walks and telling others about weather predictions, bird sightings, and other seasonal signs. She covered many grateful miles with her feet, heart, and soul.

Gertie kept diaries and journals throughout her life, filling lines and pages with the mundane and profound. In a most loving gesture, after the death of her husband Art in 1998, her journal entries began with "Dearest Art." Many entries ended with a prayer and a note of gratitude.

Art and Gertie's marriage of 48 years was about the hard work of parenting and operating a dairy and crop farm, and also about honoring holidays and holy days, square dancing, the little jokes they shared with one another, and playing cards with family and friends when they visited. She treasured time with her ever-growing family and taught her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren many valuable life lessons through her own example and steadfast faith. Gertie's faith was an integral part of her life. She lived it and practiced it daily, taking special comfort in praying the rosary.

Gertie is survived by her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren: Linus (Elaine) and their children Stacy, Sarah, Scott, Chelsea, Daniel, and Marissa. Danita Watson and her son Tyler, Neal (Charlene) and their children Jamison, Katie, Landon, and Morgan, Morris (Chris) and their children Aaron, Garrett, and Kaleena, Aileen (John Lundquist) and their children Peter and Mary, (Clay Clark) and children Whitney and Rena, Ann, Leonice (Annie Neal), Zita (Randy) Bruess and their children Dalton, Linley, Spencer and Carson, Ruth (Bob) Busta and their children Kylie, Kiane, Ellie, Brooke and Blair, Lisa (Darcy) Valentine and their children Arthur, Emily, and Sam, Artie, and Lee (Terri) and their children Brittany and Brennan, many great-grandchildren, her sister Helen (Zbornik), many nieces and nephews, extended family and friends.

Gertrude was preceded in death by her husband Arthur, daughter Mary Jo Clark, son-in-law Roger Watson, great-granddaughters Nora and Brinley Steege, siblings and in-laws Frances, Marie (Paul) Tieskoetter, Anselm (Marjorie), Cyril, Albert (in infancy), Joseph (Arlene), Adrian Zbornik, Aloysius (Fran), Richard(Joyce), Esther (Carl) Selander, Rosella (Lawrence) Beckman, Rita (Edward) Schwendau, Cletus (Lucille) Holthaus, Jeanette (Nilus) Imoehl, and Sr. Norma Jean Holthaus, OSF.