Kay Baldus

Kay Baldus, 82, of Fort Dodge, IA, died Friday, August 1, 2025, at the Comfort House in Pella, IA. Private family services will be held at a later date with inurnment at the Goodland Cemetery in Goodland, KS. Memorials may be directed to the family. Arrangements are with Historic Bruce Funeral Home of Fort Dodge. 

Roberta Kay Gibson was born April 19, 1943, in Goodland, KS, the daughter of Robert Ernest and Vivian Faye (Berringer) Gibson. In 1961, she graduated from Sherman County Community School in Goodland. She continued her education at Iowa State University earning her BFA in 1991 and MA in 1994. Over the years, she worked for KLOE Radio in Goodland (Script Writer), KVFD TV in Fort Dodge, Earl May Garden Center (Sales Clerk and Landscape Designer), and taught Art at ICCC and DMACC in Boone. She was also a curator/registrar for the Blanden Memorial Art Museum. Following her retirement in 2006, she was a ceramic artist, poet and writer. Kay sold pieces of art at the University of Arizona and had poetry published by the Iowa Poetry Association Lyrical Iowa. She was a member of the American Craft Association, Iowa Designer Craft Association, served on the Fort Dodge Historical Preservation Society (commission beginning in 2010), and the Fort Dodge Art Guild (blue ribbons and Merit Award at the fair). She was also a member of Holy Trinity Parish. Kay enjoyed spending time with her family. She also enjoyed art, feeding the birds, gardening, reading, British comedies and attending the Iowa State Fair. For 10 years, she raised quarter horses.

Kay is survived by 2 sons: Phillip Howard Swift of New Sharon, IA and Stephen Edward Baldus and partner Charla Kerns of Tulsa, OK; step-daughter: Stephanie Disbrowe of Kanehoe Bay, HI; 3 grandchildren: Jade Swift, Brooklyn Baldus and Anna Baldus; 4 great grandchildren: Kira, Zoey, Vivian and Evelyn; nieces and nephews: Jeffrey Armstrong & family, Kasey Armstrong & family, Karlie Bond & family, and Kristen Thompson & family; numerous cousins; and her lifelong best friends and sunflower friends: Glennis Carpenter Nagel of Kearney, NE and Ruth Ann Darnauer Oystol of Des Moines, IA. She is also survived by many other loving caring friends who shared her life journey and loved and supported her through good times and bad. Thanks to you all!

She was preceded in death by her parents; 2 siblings: Ron Gibson and Joyce Criswell; and step-son: Patrick Baldus.