Judy (McDonald) Bainbridge

Judy (McDonald) Bainbridge

1943 – 2024

HOLSTEIN - Judy Bainbridge, 80, of Holstein, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Odebolt Specialty Care of Odebolt.

The Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com.

Judy Lloydelle McDonald was born on Sept. 18, 1943, in Belden, Nebraska, the daughter of Lloyd and LaVone (Johnson) McDonald. Judy lived in Belden with her family until 1958 when the family moved to Kingsley, Iowa, after the purchase of the locker there. After graduating from Kingsley-Pierson High School, she worked for the dentist office in Kingsley.

On Oct. 10, 1963, Judy married Tom Bainbridge in South Sioux City, Nebraska. The couple made their home on a family farm near Pierson, Iowa. They had three beloved children: Tracy, Timi, and Tate. In 1974, the family moved to Ida Grove, to manage the city airport and operate Ida Grove Flying Service. They relocated to a farm south of Ida Grove in 1988 and Judy began working at the Village Shoe Shoppe. In 1993, they moved to an acreage south of Holstein, and remained there until they entered the nursing home in November of 2021. In April of 2022, Judy became a resident of Journey Senior Services memory care facility in Carroll, Iowa.

Family meant everything to Judy, there was nothing she wouldn’t do for her family. She spent lots of time enjoying the beach at the lake and fishing at the farm ponds with them. Her grandchildren loved to spend the night with Grandma Judy and very rarely did they leave her house without some of her famous chocolate chip cookies. 

Judy always put others first and would do anything for anyone. For many years, she kept a huge garden and supplied everyone with frozen sweet corn and green beans. She was an avid fisherwoman and shore lunch chef with her preferred location being the English River in Ontario, Canada. Judy had a love of animals and never let a stray cat or dog go hungry at her house.

Judy may have kept a small circle, but she shared her whole heart to those within it. She was loved and will be missed.

Survivors include her children Tracy (Lily) Bainbridge of Spirit Lake, Iowa and Timi (Roger) Wunschel of Ida Grove; grandchildren: Nickalaus (Mykayla) Wunschel, Keller Wunschel, Wyatt Wunschel, and Annabell Burrell; brother Jerry (Cheryl) McDonald of Havre, Montana; sister Jaine (Denis) Stubbs of Moville, Iowa; brothers-in-law Loy Bakken of Kingsley, Iowa, and Kenny Bainbridge of Pierson, Iowa; extended family and friends. 

 Judy was preceded in death by her parents Lloyd and LaVone McDonald; son Tate Bainbridge; grandson Seth Wunschel; and sister Jill Bakken.