Blomberg, Delores Esther (1928-2016)

BLOMBERG, ANDERSON, SVENSSON, BUROW

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 9/5/2016 at 12:37:10

Delores Esther Blomberg
September 2, 1928 - July 18, 2016

Delores “Dee” Blomberg, age 87, formerly of Albert City, Iowa, died on July 18, 2016, at the Lake Minnetonka Shores nursing home in Spring Park, Minnesota.

Delores Esther Anderson, a daughter of Alwin and Eva Olive (Svensson) Anderson, was born in Laurel, Nebraska, on September 2, 1928. Her family included her three brothers Lawrence, Art, and Arnold “Ole” Anderson, and her sisters, Idris Burow and Opal Anderson, who died in infancy. Dee grew up in a “small country home.” Her family credits Dee with giving her brother, Arnold, his nickname, Ole, because she could not pronounce Arnold, and he preferred the name, Ole, throughout his life. From her parents, who were both of Swedish descent, Dee developed an appreciation of many Swedish recipes and traditions, which she passed along to her children. Considered the expert on lutefisk, for example, she cooked it every year for the family Christmas celebrations.

When she was just seven years old, her mother, Olive, died. Dee said, “I remember after my Mother died how our church ladies would come out to our farm home and clean and bake for us. I’m sure they did it to help our Aunt Esther, my mother’s sister as she did so much for us.” Dee went to country school near Laurel, Nebraska, and then attended high school in Concord, Nebraska. As a teenager, however, she relocated to Iowa to live with her brother, Lawrence, and his wife, Ila. She graduated from Albert City High School.

Next, she worked at the AC Cafe as a waitress where she met her husband, George “Pooley” Blomberg. They married on March 17, 1951, at the Evangelical Free Church in Albert City, Iowa. Subsequently, Dee and Pooley had four children, Judi, Gregg, Angie, and Scott. A second tragedy occurred in Dee’s life in 1961. Her son, Gregg, died at the age of five, a loss that she mourned for the rest of her life.

For over thirty years, Dee and Pooley ran a restaurant in Albert City known as Pooley’s Drive Inn. Dee enjoyed cooking for their many customers. Pork tenderloin sandwiches, broasted chicken, and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies were just a few of her specialties. The first boss for many a teenager, Dee was wont to remind them, “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.” After selling the restaurant, she became a cook for eleven years at the Senior Center in Albert City and was honored for her work there by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad.

Dee enjoyed many activities. In addition to spending time with her family, she had the opportunity to travel within the US and in Europe. At home, she enjoyed sewing, crocheting, scrapbooking, shopping, baking, cooking holiday meals, and writing poetry. She, always, liked to exercise and led many to join her for walks and bike rides.

In her memoirs, Dee said that she hoped her children learned from her “honesty and consideration for others and their lawns and property. I, always, strived to do my best in everything and give it all you’ve got.” She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren and was especially close to her sister, Idris, throughout her life. A long time member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Albert City, she found a constant source of strength and comfort in her faith.

Dee is survived by her daughter Judi; her granddaughter, Julia; her daughter, Angie, and Angie’s husband, Tony; her son, Scott, and Scott’s wife, Mary; her grandson, Matt; and her granddaughters, Jana and Lydia; as well as by many other family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her son, Gregg; her husband, Pooley; her parents; her three brothers; and her two sisters.

Dee’s family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to the many people who provided her compassionate care over the last few years. These caregivers included numerous family members and friends in Albert City, the Lake Minnetonka Shores memory care and nursing home staff, and the Park Nicollet hospice team. Dee’s family is grateful to have had such support for Dee and her family in their time of need.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 30, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Albert City. Burial will follow in the Fairfield Township Cemetery in Albert City. Visitation will take place Friday, July 29, 2016, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Sliefert Funeral Home in Albert City. The Sliefert Funeral Home in Albert City is in charge of the arrangements.

Copyright © 2016, Sliefert Funeral Homes

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