Kathleen "Kay" L. Goettsch

Kathleen "Kay" L. Goettsch, age 90, passed away on Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at the Cherokee Regional Medical Center of Cherokee. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church of Holstein at 10:30 A.M. with the Vicar Emily Anderson officiating.  Burial will be at the Holstein Cemetery of Holstein. A visitation will be held on Monday, September 1, 2025 from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Nicklas D. Jensen Funeral Home of Holstein. 

Kathleen “Kay” L. Goettsch was born April 24, 1935 in Rockwell City, Iowa to Edgar F. and Ella E. (Peters) Dandy. She graduated from Schaller High School then attended the University of Northern Iowa where she earned her teachers degree. Later she earned her bachelors degree from Morningside College.

Kay was united in marriage to Loren W. “Doc” Goettsch on June 27, 1954 in Schaller, Iowa. After their marriage they lived in Holstein where they raised their two sons, Kirby and Kirk. Kay worked as an elementary school teacher in Quimby, Holstein and Galva, primarily teaching 5th grade. She was a member of the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church of Holstein where she taught Sunday school and was active in numerous committees.

She also volunteered for various Holstein youth sports. In her free time she enjoyed sewing, quilting, reading, playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles. She was an avid basketball and baseball fan, keeping up with the Iowa State Cyclones, the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Creighton Bluejays as well as the Chicago Cubs. Kay also enjoyed attending performances at the Rosemary Clausen Performing Arts Center and spending time with her family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Doc in 2010; her parents; brother, Eugene Dandy; daughter-in-law, Trish Goettsch; and parents-in-law, Walter and Lillian Goettsch. Kay is survived by her sons, Kirby Goettsch of Bismarck, ND and Kirk (Ellen) Goettsch of Omaha, NE; grandchildren: Matthew Steven, Jillian Truesdell, Chelsea Peter, Whitney Peter, Joseph Goettsch, Hannah Goettsch, Kaitlin Goettsch, Lydia Goettsch, Rachel Goettsch, and Emily Goettsch; nine great-grandchildren; and brother, Darrold (Carol) Dandy of Annandale, VA.

In lieu of flowers, memorials made will go to Kay’s favorite local charities.