Kristi Kay Gruetzmacher, 56

Jan. 6, 1962 —

June 13, 2018

 

Clear Lake - Kristi Kay Gruetzmacher, age 56, of Clear Lake, Iowa passed away on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at Hospice of North Iowa – Inpatient Unit.

A service was held on Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at One Vision Campus, Clear Lake, with pastor Scott Sokol officiating. Burial was at St. Peters Lutheran Church Cemetery in Westgate, Iowa.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Kristi Gruetzmacher Memorial Fund.

Kristi K. Gruetzmacher was born on Jan. 6, 1962, at Mercy Hospital in Oelwein, Iowa, daughter of Harold and Darlene (Zupke) Gruetzmacher. She attended River Hills School in Cedar Falls, Iowa and Stanley Vocational School. Following her schooling, she lived at home until her father passed and then moved to the Curtis House in Oelwein, Iowa in 2006. She began working at Buchanan County Community Services, Independence, Iowa and Quality Choice Inc. in Oelwein, which included working at Goodwill. In 2010,  she moved to Pioneer Cottage at Opportunity Village and later moved to an independent group home in Clear Lake.

She was very involved in the Special Olympics. Kristi won many medals and trophies throughout the years, including swimming, bowling and basketball. She was a member of the Strike Harder Bowling team on Thursday night league in Forest City.

Kristi was the first baby baptized and confirmed at Peace Lutheran Church in Oelwein and was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mason City, Iowa.

Her dream was to be a bride, work as a secretary and drive a car. Kristi’s golden years were at the Opportunity Village, where she enjoyed the independence of moving around the campus on her bike, swimming in the pool, working at the center and picking her paycheck up on Fridays. She knew the value of quarters for pop (Diet Coke), dollars for arm wrestling and five dollars for Subway sandwiches. 

To Kristi, every day was her birthday, and she loved to go to the casino on her real birthday with her family. She never met a boy or man who she didn’t want to hug, kiss or marry.

Kristi was very musical. She enjoyed listening to Michael Jackson, the Jersey Boys and Lawrence Welk on Saturday nights on TV. She played the guitar for Oakwood Nursing Home and loved entertaining friends and family. She loved dancing, being the center of attention in front of the band and busting the moves. During her stay at Opportunity Village, she participated in the Bell Choir, Sign Language Choir and Tuesday afternoon Spiritual Life.

Kristi is survived by her four siblings, Kelly (Merle) Brockshus of Mason City, Iowa, Jackie Tallman of Cresco, Iowa, Vicki (Steve) Wolfe of Mason City and Dwight Gruetzmacher of Duluth, Minn.; 10 nieces and nephews, Sara Wolfe, Matt Wolfe, Heidi Wolfe, Tony Tallman, Benge Tallman, Lindsay Tallman, Josh Brockshus, Noah Brockshus, Talia Gruetzmacher and Clayton Gruetzmacher; and numerous great-nieces, nephews and extended family members. She will be remembered as the heart of the family.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Darlene Gruetzmacher.