Obituary: Melody D. Holbach

Melody D. Holbach, 72, passed away on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.  

She was born on September 5, 1953, to Richard and Donna Hartley at the Schoitz Hospital in Waterloo,  Iowa. She went on to graduate from Waterloo West in 1971. Melody also attended Hawkeye Community  College and earned an associate's degree in accounting.  

Melody was married in 1975 to Dennis Holbach of Waterloo, Iowa. Together they had five boys:  Dennis Jr., Jon, Andy, Luke, and Zach.  

Together Dennis and Melody ran Randall's Stop and Shop from 1981 until 2024. Melody enjoyed  socializing with customers, and greeted everyone with a "Hey, Guy." She also enjoyed seeing  her grandkids running through the store and helping stock shelves.  

One of the things that brought Melody the most joy was having a house full of kids. Starting with  her own boys and generations of "adopted" Hudson kids. She always had an open door for whoever  needed it and was always a call away for a ride. As Melody and her boys got older, she loved watching  her grandkids in any activity they participated in. She rarely missed a sporting event, concert, play, or  birthday party, often attending more than one each night. She was blessed with nine grandchildren that  kept her very active. When Melody was not at a grandkids' event, she could be found at an  Iowa Hawkeye sporting event or traveling the world with Dennis. Together they went to: Hawaii, Alaska,  Australia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Riveria Maya, Brazil, Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico,  Netherlands, Germany, France, and England.  

Melody is survived by her husband, Dennis Holbach Sr.; her five sons, Dennis Jr. (Kari), Jon (Jen),  Andy (Sarah), Luke (Megan), and Zach (Katey), all of Hudson; nine grandchildren, Jack, Jed,  Dalton, Tenley, Hayden, Tatum, Bennett, Harper, and Hadley; her sister, Robin (Dave) Boesen; brothers,  Richard (Jane) Hartley, and Steve Hartley; sister-in-law, Mary (Bill) Swick; aunt, Gert Fischels; along with  all her nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Donna (Nissen) Hartley; a granddaughter,  Mary Jane Holbach; her in-laws, Louis and Agnes Holbach; her sister, Jean Saner, and brother-in-law,  Nelson Saner; her sister, Cindy Ewing; her nephew, T.J. Leonard; and brother-in-law, Michael Holbach. 

A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, February 23, 2026, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic  Church with burial at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, both in Waterloo. Visitation from 1:00-4:00 p.m. on Sunday,  February 22, 2026, at Locke at Tower Park, 4140 Kimball Ave., Waterloo; also, for one hour prior to mass  at the church. Memorials may be directed to Hudson Schools Athletic Booster Club or the City of  Hudson Parks and Recreation.

Condolences may be left at www.LockeFuneralServices.com. Locke at  Tower Park is assisting the family. Locke at Tower Park, 319-233-3146.