Robert "Bob" E. Batschelet

***Per the family’s request***

ROBERT “BOB” BATSCHELET  – Obituary

 

Robert “Bob” Earl Batschelet, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend to all, passed away on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at the age of 79 in Guthrie Center, Iowa.

 

Bob was born on a snowy day in Iowa City, Iowa, on April 16, 1947, the son of Carroll King Batschelet and Margaret Le Rose “Boots” Batschelet. Bob joined his older brother, Bill, while their father finished law school. By that June, the family settled in Guthrie Center, and in October 1948, the family was complete with the arrival of his sister, Carol, who always held a deeply special place in his life.

 

Bob graduated from Guthrie Center High School in 1965 and went on to attend Central College in Pella, Iowa. Between his junior and senior year, he married the love of his life, Cheryl Garloch, on June 29, 1968, in Guthrie Center—a milestone Bob often joked was the real secret behind his academic turnaround.

 

After graduating from Central College in 1969, Bob learned he was number one on the local draft list and proudly enlisted in the United States Air Force. He served with honor from 1969 to 1973 in the United States Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) as a Morse code operator, stationed in Darmstadt and Augsburg, Germany. While living overseas, Bob and Cheryl embraced the adventure of traveling across Europe and welcomed their first daughter, Cheri, in Wiesbaden.

 

Upon returning stateside in 1973, Bob entered the insurance industry—the only profession he would ever have, and one that suited his natural ability to connect with people. He worked in Guthrie Center and Red Oak before he and Cheryl purchased Three B’s Insurance in Rock Port, Missouri, in 1982. Together they ran the agency until selling it in 2008, though Bob never fully stepped away, continuing to work with a crop insurance agency in Panora, Iowa, for many years.

 

Faith and fellowship were cornerstones of Bob’s life. He was a dedicated member of the First Presbyterian Church in Guthrie Center and attended Valley Presbyterian Church during the winters he and Cheryl enjoyed in Scottsdale, Arizona. Bob lived by the philosophy of “putting back into the well,” believing strongly in service and leaving his community better than he found it. Over the years, he gave generously of his time to civic and non-profit organizations and held leadership roles in Rotary, The New Homestead, the Lake Panorama Association, and the Guthrie County REC. He was also a proud member of the Guthrie Center American Legion.

 

Witty, outgoing, and effortlessly friendly, Bob never met a stranger. He loved being outdoors—whether walking, biking, fishing, or taking friends and family on leisurely pontoon cruises around Lake Panorama. A true car enthusiast, Bob had an eye for classic muscle. He was an avid, lifelong golfer who celebrated the rare feat of four career holes-in-one. Around the card table, Bob was always up for a good hand, especially when playing his favorites, cribbage, bridge and pinochle.

 

To say Bob was resilient would be an understatement—he was an absolute fighter with nine lives and the grit to match. Over his lifetime, Bob survived flying through a windshield in high school, taking an unexpected tumble off a roof, and even launching a riding lawn mower off an embankment and taking flight. When facing life’s heavier battles, that same toughness carried him through four separate bouts of cancer over thirteen years with quiet courage and an unbreakable spirit. No matter what life threw at him, Bob simply dusted himself off, flashed a grin, and kept moving forward. Above all, Bob cherished family time and visits with his children and grandchildren, always considering himself a truly “lucky man” whenever he was surrounded by the family he adored.

 

Bob is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Cheryl Batschelet of Panora, Iowa; daughter Cheri (Mike) Coutermash, Faribault, Minnesota; daughter Brenda Batschelet, Jefferson, Iowa; daughter Susan (Tim) Kramer, Clive, Iowa; and son Peter (Michelle) Batschelet, Scottsdale, Arizona; eight grandchildren, Dylan, Kasey and Tyler Coutermash; Arie, Anna and Keeley Kramer; and Blake and Collins Batschelet; and brother Bill (Margaret) Batschelet, Arvada, Colorado; and sister Carol (Gary) Brotherson, Burlington, Iowa; and mother-in-law Barb Garloch of Guthrie Center, Iowa; and nephews and nieces.

 

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by father-in-law Roger Garloch and his aunt Beth Batschelet.

 

A Celebration of Life will be held 11:00 A.M., Friday, November 13, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church located at 701 State Street in Guthrie Center, Iowa. Visitation with the family will take place on Thursday, November 12, 2026, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Twigg Funeral Home located at 506 Prairie Street in Guthrie Center, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Bob’s memory to the Guthrie County Historical Village, Mary J. Barnett Memorial Library, or a charity of your choice.