BALES, Joan "Jo" M. 1935 - 2016

BALES, WHITNEY, SPEAKER, MOLENCAMP, THOMSEN

Posted By: Pat Ludeke (email)
Date: 12/4/2017 at 22:47:54

Joan M. (Jo) Bales, of Mason City, died Saturday, May 7, 2016 at Muse Norris Hospice, Mason City.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday (May 21, 2016) at Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E., Mason City, with the Rev. Steve Johnson officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City.

Memorials may be given to Hospice of North Iowa.

Joan M. Bales was born May 28, 1935 in Mason City, the first born of four children to Alexander and Alice (Whitney) Speakar. She attended McKinley School in Mason City through sixth grade and then the family moved to Clear Lake after purchasing the Oakwood Grocery Store at Bayside. She attended Clear Lake Schools from seventh grade until graduating in 1953. She excelled in music, both instrumental band and choral. She earned several honors from singing in choir, duets, trios and madrigals. She was also selected homecoming queen in her senior year.

After graduating from high school, she attended Mason City Junior College where she received a teaching degree. Teaching was definitely the right vocation starting with Sunday School at her church and later at Ventura public schools.

During high school she met Kenneth (Ken) Bales whom she married in 1957. After their marriage, they moved to Arlington, Virginia, where Ken finished his military obligation serving in the Honor Guard at Fort Myer, Virginia, followed by a career in banking.

While living in Arlington, she taught first grade at Congressional School (private) and served as a counselor at their summer camps. The family moved to Springfield, Va., and she continued to teach until their second child was born. She and Ken decided it would be best for her to be home with the two boys. After ten years of metropolitan living, they returned to Clear Lake where Ken accepted a banking position. She continued her duties as a mother and later took a part-time secretarial position at the North Iowa Fairgrounds. She later retired because of failing health.

During her early years singing in the church choir along with duet and trio performances, she remained loyal to her Savior, Jesus Christ. She regularly read her Bible to promote her Christian faith and shared that with others. One of her greatest moments in teaching came from her role as a leader with the girls’ chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Clear Lake, leading the lessons, singing the songs and taking them to summer camps. Many of the girls who were part of that group became lifelong friends and communicated with her about their lives.

She had to deal with Rheumatoid Arthritis for many, many years and had it not been for her faith, could not have endured the crippling pain. She remained loyal to her Redeemer until passing this life. She had many Christian experiences and was never afraid to share them with others. Two of her favorite’s hymns were “Through It All” and “It Is Well With My Soul”. And one of the most memorable Bible verses was, “For me to live is Christ and to die is Gain”. She remained diligent to the end of this life and as a teacher asks the question, where are you with your faith? Hallelujah, He is risen!!

Joan is survived by her husband, Ken Bales, Mason City; sons, Ryan (Patti) Bales, Vacaville CA., Eric Bales, Mason City; grandchildren, Erin, Erica, Tyler, Tatum, Tessa, Alexander, and Ryanna; sisters, Sonia (Larry) Molencamp, Muscatine, Kathy (Eric) Thomsen, Muscatine; brother, Robert (Lee) Speakar, Clear Lake; several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; in-laws, Ira and Gladyce Bales; and a son, Brad Bales.