Obituary of Sandra K. Balke

Sandra K. Balke, 75, of Iowa City, died Saturday, April 26, 2014, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Funeral services will be held at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 30, 2014, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, where there will be visitation from 4 pm until service time Wednesday. Entombment will take place at Memory Gardens. A memorial fund has been established in Sandra's memory. Sandra K. Malmberg was born August 24, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois the daughter of Lawrence and Zola (Chelf) Malmberg. Her family moved to the Lone Tree area where she attended schools graduating with the Class of 1956. She married Ernest H. Balke on November 29, 1958, in Lone Tree. She had been a licensed practical nurse for many years, working at the University of Iowa Hospitals, Lantern Park Care Center, and retiring from the Veterans Administration Hospital after 30 years of service. Sandra was a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Sandra enjoyed gardening. She was a talented seamstress, and made many items for the family. Basketball was her favorite sport, especially six-on-six girls' basketball! Her family includes three sons, Dwight Allen Balke of Iowa City; Roland Kent Balke of Las Vegas, NV; and Norman Lee Balke (Stephanie) of Iowa City; four grandchildren, Molly, Kayla, Alexander and Breanna; sister Cara Kilman (Ernest) of Loudon, NH. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and sister Joyce Tardiff.