Amy Jo Baschke

SIOUX CITY -- Amy Jo Baschke, 50, of Sioux City passed away Wednesday, April 22, 2009, at her residence following a three-year illness with breast cancer.

Memorial services will be 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2, 2009 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake, Iowa, with the Rev. James Travis of Calvary Lutheran Church in Sioux City officiating. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Calvary Lutheran Church in Sioux City. Arrangements are under the direction of Nelson-Berger Northside Chapel. Condolences may be sent online to www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Amy was born May 10, 1958, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the daughter of Edward and Joanne (O'Keefe) Steinhoff. She graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High School in 1976 and from Iowa Central Community College as a dental assistant in 1977. She graduated from Iowa Lakes Community College with an AA degree in business in 1989.

She married Doyle Leiss on Oct. 20, 1980. They were married until 1990. She married Mike Baschke on June 6, 1998.

She lived in Fort Dodge from 1958 until 1977, in the Iowa Great Lakes area from 1978 to 1996 and then moved to Sioux City. She worked at Crystal Tips Ice Factory in the Iowa Great Lakes area from 1989 to 1993 and Custom Tape and Texture, a business owned by her husband, Mike, since 1996. She worked for Aramark from 1996 to 1999 and Soo Tractor from 1999 to 2001. She was forced to retire in 2008 due to poor health. She was a vendor at the Plymouth and Clay County Fairs.

She was a member of Calvary Lutheran Church. She loved spending time with her family in Mazatlan, Mexico, and caring for many children that came into her life.

She is survived by her husband, Mike of Sioux City; a daughter, Lona Leiss of Sioux City; five sisters and a brother, Lisa and her husband, Steve Leppert of Manson, Iowa, Paula Steinhoff of Ames, Iowa, Shane Steinhoff and his wife, Julie of Fort Dodge, Carrie and her husband, Pat Koester of Ankeny, Iowa, Jill Crimmins of Manson and Jana and her husband, John Hacker of Manson; a granddaughter, Sofia Leiss; five nieces; 11 nephews; two grandnieces; and five grandnephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and a daughter, Sarah LaRue Baschke.

Memorials may be made in her name to Farmer's State Bank in Fostoria, Iowa.