Rosalie Marie "Rose" Kelso

Rosalie "Rose" Marie Kelso, age 79, a longtime Ames resident, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 5, 2025.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, November 14, 2025, from 3:00-8:00 p.m. at The Parlor, 119 Washington Ave, Ames, IA 50010 (behind Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care).

Rose was born on March 30, 1946, in Boone, Iowa, the daughter of Irene and Victor Baldus. She attended school in Ames and graduated from Ames High School in 1964. Following graduation, she briefly attended Iowa State University and later spent time in Lancaster, California, before returning home to Ames. On April 24, 1971, she married David Kelso and went on to raise 3 daughters who also graduated from Ames High School.

Throughout her career, Rose held a variety of positions, ultimately finding her calling as an insurance clerk at the ISU Student Health Center, where she worked until her retirement. In her later years, she enjoyed spending summers at her lakeside refuge at Kamp Dels in Waterville, Minnesota, and winters as a proud snowbird in Apache Junction, Arizona.

Rose was an active member of the American Business Women's Association and the Ames High Alumni Association, where she loved helping organize class reunions. Her greatest joys included playing bingo, visiting flea markets, fishing, playing solitaire, and curling up with a good book. She adored her grandchildren and never missed an opportunity to cheer on her beloved Iowa State Cyclones.

She is survived by her three daughters: Michelle (Alex) Kelso of Washington, D.C.; Julie (Corwin) Boeding of Pleasant Hill, IA; and Amy (Jeff) Dick of Clive, IA; as well as her sisters Judy (Steve) Eaton of Clive, IA, and Mary Ann Baldus of Ames, IA. Rose was a proud grandmother to Calia, Drake, Chase, Austin, and Colin, all of whom brought her immense joy.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Irene and Victor Baldus, and her stepfather, Edgar Earnest.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Rose's name to Can Do Cancer or Above & Beyond Cancer. Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care is assisting the family.