Gretchen Amanda (Goltz) Conway, age 50, of Ossian, Iowa, passed away on December 20, 2025, surrounded by her family. Gretchen was born on December 30, 1974, in Waterloo, Iowa, to Clark and Shelly Goltz (Kellison). She was raised with strong values of kindness, service, and compassion that she carried with her throughout her life.
On May 21, 2007, Gretchen was united in marriage to Todd Conway in Decorah, Iowa. Together, they built a loving home centered on faith, family, and an unwavering commitment to helping children.
Gretchen was a 1993 graduate of South Winneshiek High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Luther College in 1997, her master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Northern Iowa in 2001, and later completed the Iowa Principal Leadership Academy, earning her PreK–12 Administrative Endorsement.
Throughout her career, Gretchen dedicated her life to education and advocacy for children. She taught at Carrie Lee and West Side Elementary Schools in Decorah, St. Teresa’s Elementary School in Spillville, and served as a special education teacher in Belle Plaine, Amana, and Maquoketa. She was passionate about ensuring all children received the education, care, and encouragement they deserved.
Gretchen was kind, caring, passionate, and loving. She was a true warrior and champion for children—her own, her students, and all children in need. She worked tirelessly to give back to her community, offering kindness, gifts, advocacy, and compassion wherever it was needed most. She wanted every child to know they were kind, smart, and beautiful.
She was an avid scrapbooker, creating dozens of albums from 2000 through 2022 that captured the highlights of her children’s lives. Musically gifted, Gretchen sang and played piano and flute, and she often encouraged her children to pursue music—efforts that frequently led to long, memorable family debates during the high school years.
Throughout her teaching career, Gretchen received numerous honors and recognitions, including the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Grant, Kids in Need Grant, the Horace Mann Educator Scholarship, multiple Farm Bureau Teacher Scholarships, recognition as the 2003 Iowa City Area Teacher of the Year, and selection as a 2002 Fulbright Memorial Scholarship recipient to Japan.
Gretchen was the proud and devoted mother, she also lovingly welcomed many foster children into her home and heart, including Kyra, Payton, Katherine, M.J., Lovey, Jeshawn, Jemarcus, Easton, Tanner, Asher, Mia, Dakota, and T.J.
She is survived by her husband, Todd Conway of Ossian; their children, Carver Conway of Decorah; Campbell Conway of Ossian (married to Gracie Abitz on June 5, 2025); Adele Conway; Hugh Conway; and Hattie Conway ; her parents; brother, Graham Goltz of Festina; her mother-in-law, Sally Conway (Koenig) of Cedar Falls; and her siblings-in-law: Scott Conway (Marie) of Calmar, Brian Conway (Stacy) of Center Point, Sara Calderon of Cedar Falls, and Kristi Frost (Shane) of Cedar Falls.
Gretchen was preceded in death by; her grandparents, Sis Goltz (Campbell), Dale Goltz, Virginia Kellison (Beisker), and Donald Kellison; her uncle, Thomas Goltz; her aunt, Toni Kolsrud (Goltz); her father-in-law, Patrick Conway; her granddog, Loki; and her grandcat, Cleo.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, December 26, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Pivo, 101 Huber Drive, Calmar, Iowa.
Schmitz-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Ossian, Iowa is helping the family with the arrangements,