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Pamela Janan Rausch, 70, of Newton, died Thursday, July 4, 2019, at her home. A funeral mass will begin at 11 a.m. Friday, July 12 at Sacred HeartCatholic Church. The family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 11 at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory. Memorials in Pam’s name may be left at the church the day of the service or at the funeral home.
Pam, the daughter of Floyd L. and A. Alene (Clayton) Hawbaker, was born Jan. 25, 1949, in Charles City. She grew up in Charles City and graduated from high school there in 1967. On May 10, 1969, Pam was united in marriage with Tom Rausch at the St. Boniface Church in Ionia. They lived in Charles City until 1983 when they relocated to Oskaloosa. In 1989, they made their home in Newton. Pam returned to school and received her BA in teaching from William Penn University. For 17 years, she worked for the Newton Community School District at a Transitional K teacher, retiring in 2013. Pam was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Newton. She was a talented artist and enjoyed calligraphy, painting and drawing. She also liked to spend time reading. Pam loved people and would unselfishly give of her time to help others. She enjoyed engaging in lively conversations with people she knew or strangers that she would meet. Above all else, Pam loved spending time with her family and attending her children and grandchildren’s activities.
Those left to honor Pam’s memory are her husband, Tom Rausch of Newton; children, Bryan (Angie) Rausch of Newton, Todd (Renee) Rausch of Johnston, Scott (Meredith) Rausch of Evans, Ga., and Tyler (Crystal) Rausch of Newton; her grandchildren, Ryanne, Liliana, Audrey, Landry, Tristan, Devin, Katie, Sutton, Sloane, Karter, Olivia and Beckham; her brother, Gary (Sandra) Hawbaker of Boise, Idaho; mother-in-law, June Rausch of Newton; sister-in-law, Sister Jennifer Rausch of Hopkins, Minn.; and her many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Jay; and two sisters, Joann and Diane.