C. Kay Balsiger

On Sunday, February 4, 2024, Kay as she is known, went to be with her Lord, her beloved daughter, and her infant son.

She was born on May 4, 1939 in Kenton, Ohio at the McKitrick Hospital. Kay was raised primarily by her parents who owned a truck stop, and she learned at an early age to be a good cook and waitress. She attended Hardin Central School, St. Anthony’s Parochial School, and Kenton High School.

After leaving home she had her first 3 children and continued waitressing. She also did many projects normally done by men such as remodeling the exterior of a house, building a fence, running a cement mixer all night to pour a garage floor. At one point in her life, she even plowed and disked fields for a local farmer. She also sanded and sprayed painted cars and worked on engines. Sort of a “Jack of all Trades.”

When her marriage broke up, she turned to her great love of horses by being a trail guide and riding instructor for campfire girls. During these years Kay also worked in factories. She worked in an auto parts plant in Kenton, Name Plate and Monogram in Wapakoneta, OH., and Stolle’s siding plant in Sydney, OH. In 1967, she moved to Columbus, OH., where she worked in two pharmacies Thurber Village and Press Pharmacy. Her youngest son was born in Columbus.

In 1972 she moved to Marysville, OH, and was co-owner, secretary and bookkeeper for a heating and air conditioning company. When the company went belly up Kay went back to being a waitress and bartender. It was there she met and married her husband, Elmer. In 1977 she went to work at the Ohio Reformatory for women as a corrections officer and was promoted to Sergeant. She worked many jobs at the institution. Whenever there were trouble spots, she would be assigned there, she was proud to be a trouble shooter.

In 1989 she and Elmer moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Kay went to work for another pharmacy, Putvin Health Mart in Munising and volunteered at the animal shelter. Then in 1990 she went to school to learn Real Estate. She worked as a Realtor for State Wide Real Estate and REMAX SuperiorLand. She had been honored as 3rd top salesperson in the state. She retired from there in 2002.

Kay loved her family. She enjoyed all kinds of card games, especially casino black jack both in Michigan and Las Vegas. She always had a great love of horses and her and Elmer’s dogs. They were married 48 years at the time of her death. In 2012 they retired to Hillsboro, Ohio near Rocky Fork Lake to be closer to her children.

Kay is survived by her husband, Elmer, children Russ Stalk, Craig Stalk, Frederick (Debbie) Anderson, Marty (Jill) Anderson, grandchildren, Jennifer (Tim) Stokes, Ryan Stalk, Amanda Colburn, Dawn Anderson, 7 great grandchildren and her sister Irene Miller.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Skip and Dorothy, her daughter, Mary “Bunny”, an infant son, her sister Diane, her brother, Jim and her step-mother, Alice Miller.

Services will be private and handled by the Ingram Funeral Home.

Ingram Funeral Home is honored to serve Kay’s family and condolences may be expressed to them at https://www.ingramfuneralservice.com/obituary/c-kay-balsiger