Wenceslaus ‘Jim’ Balik, 80

Nov. 19, 1937 —

April 2, 2018

 

Formerly of Protivin - Wenceslaus Francis “Jim” Balik, age 80, of Waterloo, Iowa, formerly of Protivin, Iowa, died at Covenant Medical Center on Monday, April 2, 2018 of natural causes.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, April 6, 2018 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Waterloo. Burial will be at a later date in St. Wenceslaus Cemetery at Spillville, Iowa. Visitation is 4-8 p.m., Thursday, April 5, 2018 at Locke Funeral Home in Waterloo, with a 7 p.m. Vigil Service and also for an hour before services at the church on Friday. Please dress casual. Memorials should go to the family. Condolences may be left at www.LockeFuneralHome.com.

Jim was born on Nov. 19, 1937 in Decorah, Iowa, the son of Louis Sr. and Helen Puffer Balik.

He married Charlene Skretta on Nov. 14, 1959; she died Nov. 25, 1972. He married Mary Jaspers on Feb. 9, 1974.

Jim attended grade school in Spillville and high school in Protivin. He farmed, worked for Mason City Tile & Marble, Calmar Cheese Factory and Schley Cheese Factory, was the custodian at Holy Trinity Parish in Protivin for 16 years, drove a school bus for Turkey Valley Community School District, was custodian for Eastern Star Home in Decorah and later managed apartments in Waterloo.

 He was a member of Holy Trinity Parish in Protivin and St. Wenceslaus Church in Spillville, and in 2001 they moved to Waterloo and became members of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.

Jim could fix just about anything. He loved to putter and plan different projects. He was always on the look-out for a license plate to add to his collection. He also enjoyed fishing and watching his team, the St. Louis Cardinals, play. He had been a Cardinals’ fan since he was a boy, listening to the games on the car radio with his dad.

He is survived by his wife, Mary; son, Dennis Balik of Bonita Springs, Fla; daughter, Debra (Wayne Nason) Balik of Palm Springs, Calif.; son, Douglas (Grace) Balik of West Seneca, N.Y.; son, Darren (Roberta) Balik of Goodyear, Ariz.; daughter, Darci (Chuck Pitzen) Ritter of Waterloo; adopted children, Muhamed and Sonada Odabasic of Waterloo; 14 grandchildren, Sharlene (Julian) Gelhaye, Samantha (Mike Monjeau) Balik, Jonathan Nason, Tina (Jim Pfleuger) Burton, Jeffrey Burton, Krissy Burton, Steven Patrick Wenceslaus Balik, Nicole Balik, Katherine Balik, Keaton Ritter, Michael Ritter, Collin Ritter and Imrah and Imran Odabasic; great-grandchildren, Ben Pfleuger and another one on the way; two sisters, Lorraine Bily of Omaha and Anna Mae Weist of Richardson, Texas; a sister-in-law, Betty Balik of Cresco, Iowa; a large extended family; and his extended Covenant family.

Jim was preceded in death by his first wife, Charlene; a granddaughter, Tami Nason; three brothers, George (Lorraine), Edward (Helen) and Louis Jr. Balik; three sisters, Genny (Robert) Pesek, Emily (Irvin) Moudry and his twin, Betty in infancy; and two brothers-in-law, Fritz Bily and Linus Weist.