Obituary of Gerald J. Baum

Iowa City Dateline: Gerald J. Baum, age 86 of Iowa City died Wednesday, February 22, 2006, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, February 25, 2006, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City with the Reverend Karl Divine-Koch officiating. Graveside services will be held at 3pm Saturday at the McIntire Cemetery in Ottumwa, Iowa. Visitation will be from 5 to 7pm Friday at the funeral home. Memorial donations can be made in Gerald’s memory to Parkinson’s disease Research or the American Heart Association. Online condolences may be sent for his family through our website @www.gayandciha.com. Gerald John Baum was born March 21, 1919, in Ottumwa the son of Lee and Mary “Mollie” (Lewman) Baum. He attended Hubler and Copperhead elementary schools and graduated from Ottumwa High School. He was united in marriage to Mildred Dietrich in October of 1945. The couple moved to Iowa City in 1945 where he operated the B&K Radio Shop in the former Berkley Hotel building and later in the former Kirwan Furniture building. He worked as an electronic technician at the University of Iowa Hospitals in the Otolaryngology Department. He also will remembered as the builder and operator of the Airlane and Capri Motels in Iowa City. His family includes his children; Geri Lea Baum of St. Louis, MO; Becky Hall and her husband, Bob of Iowa City; ; Christy Baum of Solon; and Bill Baum and his wife, LaRue of Iowa City; grandchildren, Jonathan Petry, Joel Petry, Bob Hall and his wife, Allison, Joe Hall, Katy Sheley and her husband, Casey, Cody Baum, Jay Shipley, Jay Petry and his wife, Carolyn, and Stephanie Petry; great-grandchildren, Madelyn Sheley, Isabelle Sheley, Gwyneth Hall, Riley Hall, Cara Petry, and Ryan Petry. Gerald was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Mildred; brothers, James, Donald and Wendell Baum; and sister, Lois Grupe. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for Gerald’s family and his services.