Clair V. BLAKEWELL

BLAKEWELL, DERRY, HAMMON, GREMMER, RODBERG, PLATTS, ROOF, MARKWARDT, NOVAK

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/3/2009 at 09:14:12

CLEAR LAKE - Clair V. Blakewell, 92, of Clear Lake died Thursday (April 30, 2009) at the Heritage Care Center, Mason City. Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Monday May 4, at the Clear Lake United Methodist Church, Clear Lake, with the Rev. Rhoda Preston officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 N. Fourth St., Clear Lake, and then one hour before the service on Monday at the church. Family suggests memorials to the Clair Blakewell Memorial Fund.

Clair was born April 25, 1917, in Erwin, S.D., the son of Gilbert and Zella (Derry) Blakewell. He attended school in Erwin. He moved with his family to Wright County in 1934. He graduated from Belmond High School in 1936. He worked for area farmers and at the Lake Cornelia Roller Rink. Clair married Lois Hammon at the Little Brown Church, Nashua, on June 22, 1942. They lived and worked on his parent's farm until 1947, when they moved to a farm near Burchinal. In 1949, his parents built a house for them on the elder Blakewell's farm north of Burchinal. Clair and Lois lived there until 1982, when they moved to the "big" house on the farm. In 2005 he moved to Apple Valley Assisted Living in Clear Lake and in 2007 he moved to Willow Pointe Assisted Living in Mason City. He and Lois were avid square dancers. He enjoyed going to auctions where he bought things for the family and especially liked buying toy tractors to add to his collection. He is survived by eight children and their spouses: Marcella and Bill Gremmer of Forest Lake, Minn., Milo and Norene Blakewell of Burchinal, Mary and Harlan Rodberg of Forest City, Marlin and Sharon Blakewell of Clear Lake, Milton Blakewell of Clear Lake, Margie and Larry Platts of Mason City, Marilyn and Ron Roof of Algona and Michael Blakewell of Mason City. Also surviving are 26 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, (3 more expected this summer) and one great-great-grandchild; one sister, Iona Markwardt of Clear Lake; and one sister-in-law, Doris Novak of Fertile. He was preceded in death by Lois, his wife of 59 years, on April 28, 2001; his parents and two grandchildren. Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel.

Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa
May 2, 2009