Beltz, Tara Jane

Tara Jane Beltz, 37, of Cedar Rapids, died Thursday, May 16, 2013, at Mercy Medical Center. Services: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church. Burial: 2:30 p.m., Pleasant View Cemetery in Aplington, Iowa. A visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home and after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church.

Survivors include her husband, Mark S. Beltz, and daughter, Sophie, of Cedar Rapids; her father and stepmother, James and Sandi Meinders of Allison, Iowa; her siblings, Troy Meinders of Fort Myers, Fla., Tammy Montero of Phoenix, Ariz., Tricia (Abe) Najera of South Elgin, Ill., Jonathan (Meredith) Kluiter of Overland Park, Kan., Sara (Bob) Heacock of Schwenksville, Pa.; her father- and mother-in-law, Scott and Sally Beltz of Cedar Rapids; sister-in-law, Tracey (Brian) Krousie of Marion; brother-in-law, Christopher Beltz of Cedar Rapids; her grandmother, Swanetta Hemmen of Aplington, Iowa; her stepgrandparents, John (Jean) Johnson of Cedar Falls; her nieces and nephews, Claudia, Alejandro, Isabella, Ashley, Armando, Santiago, Abbie, Lauren, Elsa, Grady, Lily, Madison and Hunter.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Linda K. Meinders; and a sister, Tressa Meinders.

Tara was born June 29, 1975, in Waverly, Iowa, the daughter of James and Linda (Hemmen) Meinders. She married Mark S. Beltz on May 6, 2006, in Cedar Rapids, after reconnecting after their 10-year class reunion. She was a member of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church.

Tara was a compassionate, kindhearted, eclectic and gifted woman growing up in Allison, Iowa. Tara was not only known to the town as a great person but an accomplished athlete. Tara loved to run. She loved running so much it became her passion and led to her breaking the school record in the 1600m. Her record stood until her former high school merged with another.

Tara carried much of that determination and perseverance throughout her life as a mother and wife. Tara's favorite activity was her daughter, Sophie. Often referred to as “mini-me” because they look so much alike, on many occasions the two of them could be found coloring on the floor, in Sophie's closet playing with Barbie's or nowhere in sight because the two were out shopping. Tara's love for Sophie will be her biggest legacy.

Tara worked at Kids Kampus for several years and it didn't take long before her compassion and determination were noticed as she was promoted to assistant director. Her kind hearted nature was felt by dozens of infants who crawled around her daily. Tara always commented or told stories regularly about the different children and at some point referring to each of them as her “favorite.”

Tara's beaming personality was evident as well in relationships she developed with the parents who had children lucky enough to be in her care. Tara's other hobbies included being an amazing friend. Tara developed a strong bond with almost everyone she met. Her strongest bonds were with her family and close friends. We all have leaned on her at some time or another and she would always be there for a hug or a shoulder to cry on.

She enjoyed camping and fishing but wasn't too keen on rain. Tara was also a gifted cook. She loved to spend time on Pinterest and look for new dishes or desserts to try. She was so good that people who had never heard of Pinterest would get an account just so they could follow what dishes she liked, what decorating ideas she liked. As gifted a cook as she was she was a more gifted interior designer. She had an eye for what looked good and how to make something look good. She was often called when somebody needed an opinion on if something looked good. Tara would often pick out clothing for Mark. She had a flare with style and an innate ability to design on a dime.

As a wife, Tara was thoughtful, caring, funny and beautiful. She always laughed at Mark's jokes even if they weren't funny and she had the most amazing blue eyes. Tara loved doing things with her nieces and nephews. She held a special place in her heart for them.

Please leave a message for the family on the website www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.

Memorials may be directed to the Tara Beltz family.

Published May 19, 2013 in The Gazette