Halblom, Ruth L. 1917-2016

HALBLOM, DIELEMAN, BRAAM, BLAHA, MARSH, PERMAR, COWELL, SCHWARTZ

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 10/10/2016 at 08:44:23

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register
June 16, 2016

RUTH L. HALBLOM

Ruth L. Halblom, 99, of Grinnell died June 13, 2016, at the Mayflower Community Health Care Center.

Funeral services have been scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 17, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell with Pastor David Crow, Grinnell United Methodist Church, officiating. Pall bearers will be family members and friends. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery in Pella.

Visitation with the family present will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Grinnell United Methodist Church.

Ruth was born February 27, 1917, in Pella, the daughter of Harry and Elizabeth Dieleman Braam. She was raised in the Pella area and attended Silver Grove Country School west of Pella and then Sully High School. She was a graduate of Capital City Commercial College in Des Moines in 1936.

On February 17, 1940, she was united in marriage with Oscar C. Halblom, a native of Sully, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. This union was blessed with a son, Randall Dean.

Ruth and Oscar farmed for 25 years in Poweshiek and Mahaska counties and she was also employed as a secretary at William Penn College in Oskaloosa. In November of 1969, they moved to Iowa City and Ruth was employed as a secretary in charge of the graduate program at the University of Iowa. During this time they returned to Grinnell in 1977 to make their home.

Ruth was a member of the Grinnell United Methodist Church, Women's Methodist Organization, holding various offices, the Historical & Literacy Club and Sunset Club. She taught Sunday school and enjoyed music, gardening, painting and reading. She loved the outdoors and living and working on their farm was a huge part of her life.

Survivors include one grandson, Matthew (Janelle) Halblom of Urbana; three great-grandchildren, Christopher (Kenzie Blaha), and Drake and Payton Halblom; a daughter-in-law, Charlene Marsh of Cedar Rapids; and a brother-in-law, Bert Permar of Marshalltown. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Oscar in 1996; her son, Randall in 1976; and three sisters, Herma Cowell, Ethel Mae Schwartz and Darlene Permar.