Ida Belle Crouse

Ida Belle Crouse of Mason Ohio died on Sunday September 15, 2024 at the age of 94. She was born on February 20, 1930 in Algona, Iowa to Merwin and Mable (Hartley) Zwald. Ida was the oldest of two children and was preceded in death by her younger sister Chalice Ann. 

Ida grew up in Iowa where her father worked as the superintendent of schools in various towns in northwest Iowa. During WW2, the family moved to Texas and then to Washington state with Merwin serving in the Air Force. They then returned to Iowa after the war. Ida graduated from Goldfield High School in 1947 and then attended her parents’ alma mater Morningside College in Sioux City Iowa, majoring in music and flute. She married Gale N Crouse in Paulina Iowa on September 10, 1950. They lived in Spirit Lake Iowa where three of their four children were born, Neal in 1952, Pam in 1953, and Gary in 1955. The family moved to Ohio in 1956 and their fourth and final child Jeff was born in 1959. 

Ida taught piano and flute from her home in the 1950s and 1960s and served as organist in her church. In the 1970’s, she began working as an administrator for public school systems and became the Treasurer of the Sycamore school system near Cincinnati Ohio and continued to work as organist of the churches she was a part of. 

Ida enjoyed sewing, knitting, music, playing bridge and loved following the successes and frustrations of her beloved Cincinnati Reds, Bengals, and Ohio State Buckeyes. 

Gale, Ida’s dear husband of 61 years, died in 2011. Ida is survived by four children, twelve grandchildren, and twelve great grandchildren. 

Services for Ida will be held Saturday October 5 at 11:00 AM at the Crestview Presbyterian Church in West Chester Ohio.