Barbara J. Ytzen

Barbara Ytzen, 96, of Marshalltown, passed away Monday, June 29, 2026 at the Iowa River Hospice Home in Marshalltown, surrounded by her loving family. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 6 at St. Francis of Assisi - St. Henry Catholic Church, 211 W Olive St, Marshalltown with a visitation at the church from 9:30 a.m. until mass begins. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery in Marshalltown. Memorials may be made to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Marshalltown.

Barbara and her twin sister Beverly were born to Rose and Ed Worden August 13, 1929 in Marshalltown, the youngest of 5 children. The Worden twins were a talented pair. At age 2, they won “Healthiest Twins in the State of Iowa” at the Iowa State Fair. They performed tap dance routines for local PTA meetings, sporting matching costumes sewn by Rose. At holidays, the family would gather around the piano with Barbara and Beverly on clarinet. Barbara continued her musical pursuits with the Marshalltown Municipal Band. Her love of music and dancing would continue through her life.

Barbara attended St. Mary’s Catholic schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade, gaining a special love for English and writing, skills she continued to hone at Central Iowa Business College, where she graduated in 1948. Following graduation she worked at the Marshalltown Times-Republican as secretary to Paul Norris, editor and publisher.

With a sense of adventure and independence, Barbara moved to Washington D.C. to work as a public stenographer, assisting many clients including Austine Cassini Hearst at her Georgetown home. She returned to Marshalltown and the T-R after a year in DC, but seeing the “big city” had planted a seed to travel and experience new cultures. While still a “working girl”, Barbara toured Europe for six weeks with a friend. With her new camera and note pad in hand, she became an unofficial correspondent for the T-R, producing travelogs which were published in the local paper upon her return.

It was through mutual friends and on a blind date that she met Glenn Ytzen, a young engineer at Fisher Controls. They shared a love of dancing, conviviality, and good humor rooted in community-minded values. They married May 12,1957 and soon after started a family. Barbara became an attentive full-time mother to 3 daughters, Anne, Jane and Nancy and a support for Glenn in his career at Fisher.

When Glenn's career led him to Tokyo, Japan starting in 1969, Barbara embraced the move with enthusiasm and optimism. She packed up the girls, ages 6, 9, and 11 for a new life in Tokyo, but always remained connected to Marshalltown, returning with the girls in the summers to stay connected to her close-knit family. While in Tokyo, Barbara developed a love for all things Japanese, learning the language, the art of Ikebana, and exploring the world’s largest city for the five years they lived there before returning to Marshalltown. Into their later years, Barbara and Glenn flourished in building friendships across cultures, serving as ambassadors of Iowa Sister Cities. They hosted many international visitors in their home and loved showing the best of Iowa to everyone.

Barbara was a member of the Twentieth Century Club, St. Henry Church, St. Pat’s Study Club, Souvenir Club and PEO, Chapter BB. Family and faith were most important to her. She enjoyed sewing, cultivating geraniums, playing bridge and being the life of the party, especially at Iowa State Cyclone events. She celebrated her 90th birthday at a Cyclone tailgate, with a special tribute from the pep band.

Barbara was a loving grandma to 6 grandchildren. She delighted in watching them grow and cheered their accomplishments. She modeled an exuberant joie de vivre - limbo-ing, snow skiing, tubing, dancing, and singing with her grandkids well into her nineties.

Barbara will be greatly missed by her daughters Anne (Steve Morrison) Colville of Bettendorf, Iowa; Jane (Dan) Houk of Ames, Iowa; and Nancy (Kevin) Mathis of Muscatine, Iowa; grandchildren Drew (Natalie) Colville, Lucy Colville, Jeff (Michelle) Houk, Eric Houk, David (Leah) Mathis and Michelle Mathis, and five great grandchildren.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Glenn, her siblings Jane, Bob, Jimmy and Bev, and son-in-law Jim Colville. May they rest in peace.

Mitchell Family Funeral Home has been entrusted to care for Barbara and her family. To leave online condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com. Ph. 641-844-1234.

~ Lovingly written by family

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