Delores Anna (Grove) DORENKAMP BLAU

BLAU, GROVE, WOLFE, DORENKAMP, BECKER, BOCK, HELLAND, CLOSNER, RENO, JOHNSON, SMITH, PEFFER, FERGUSON, WEIDEMAN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/16/2013 at 13:29:04

October 20, 1933 --- June 12, 2013

Belmond, Iowa — Delores A. Blau, age 79, of Belmond, Iowa, died Wednesday, June 12, 2013, at the Iowa Specialty Hospital- Belmond, Belmond, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m, Monday, June 17, at the First Reformed Church of Alexander, Alexander, Iowa. The Rev. Philip Arnold will be officiating. Burial will be in the Alexander Cemetery. Visitation will be today, Sunday, June 16, from 5 until 7 p.m. at the Andrews Funeral Home, 561 First Street S.E., Belmond, and continue one hour prior to the services at church Monday. Memorials are suggested to cancer research, Iowa Specialty Hospital- Belmond, or the donor's choice.

Delores Anna Grove was born on Oct. 20, 1933, at Clarion, Iowa, the daughter of Daniel and Anna (Wolfe) Grove. She attended Clarion Schools and was baptized in her home and later confirmed at the United Methodist Church of Clarion. In her younger years she enjoyed roller skating and dancing. The roller rink is where she met the love of her life and future husband, Daryl B. Dorenkamp. Delores and Daryl were later married at New Hampton, Iowa, on Aug. 13, 1950. Their union was blessed with three children: Arnold, Daryl and Jacqueline. Daryl preceded Delores in death on Aug. 25, 1959. She later married Clarence Blau on July 28, 1961. Clarence died on July 24, 1991.

Delores was a devoted wife, loving mother and nurturing grandma throughout her entire life. She relished each of these roles as if they were the only thing that mattered in her life, always putting the needs and wants of her family and friends before her own needs. Her energies and ability to give of herself to others was boundless and unending. Even in the later days of her life she would always be more concerned about how everyone else was doing rather than focusing on the challenges she may have been battling. In addition to providing for the needs of her family at home, she had worked alongside her husband mowing and maintaining the Alexander Cemetery, and they were custodians at the First Reformed Church of Alexander for a number years. Her kids remember her being their chief assistant and often times their fill-in as a paper carrier over the years when they were growing up.

Delores also had been employed at the Alexander Hatchery and did house cleaning in the area for a time. She was office manager at the Belmond Hospital for 20 years and did housekeeping at the Belmond Health Care Center (today's Rehabilitation Center of Belmond) for 15 years prior to retiring in the early 2000s. Delores enjoyed raising a large vegetable garden and strived hard to make it a weed-free garden. She looked forward to babysitting her grandkids and attending many of their events and activities over the years. They will remember her "Grandma Blau" cookies, her wonderful potato salad, and of course, her famous goulash that she would whip up for them for numerous occasions or just because they looked forward to it.

Delores was always a caregiver to her family as they aged and battled health declines. She gave unselfishly of her time to attend to the needs of both her own and her husband's families. She enjoyed family vacations and had done some traveling with her daughter Jacki's family in later years. She looked forward to visits and coffee time spent at the home of Herb and Laurie Becker with the two of them and friends. In more recent years she loved her time residing at the Belmond Community Apartments, where she expanded her friendships and loved to participate in daily coffee and conversation with her many neighbors there.

After moving to the Rehabilitation Center of Belmond, she continued to look forward to the days ahead and all they had to offer. She loved to participate in the facility's exercise classes, attend its church and prayer services, bingo and other activities and events. During her time at the Care Center she enjoyed her fellow residents, and very much anticipated the fun and enjoyable comradery of the staff and her neighbors. She looked forward to her son-in-law, Kenny, coming in every day and checking the "homework" (puzzles) he encouraged her and her roommate to do. As her health deteriorated and she was hospitalized several times she continued to share her unique wit and warm personality with the staff who cared for her there. When asked how she wished to be remembered by her family and friends, she simply stated, "I want to be remembered by my family and friends for how much I loved each of them!" She continued and referred to herself as "a hen with her wings spread wide as she protects and shares her love and nurturing with her brood of chicks." Those who had the privilege of crossing in the steps of her life journey will cherish her legacy and memory as a lady small in stature who had a heart many times larger than her being, as a "true friend" who was full of wit and humor and who had a strong faith and believed in the powers of prayer.

She will be missed for her warm smile and her unique and wonderful character. She will be deeply missed by her son, Arnold (Christine) Dorenkamp, Hanlontown, Iowa; daughter, Jacqueline (Kenneth) Bock, Belmond, Iowa; and son, Daryl Dorenkamp, Grimes, Iowa; a sister, Sandy (Dave) Helland, Rochester, Minn.; sister-in-law, Lucie Grove, Karnack, Texas; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Ken (Sandy) Dorenkamp, Alexander, Iowa; grandchildren, Bryan (Ericka) Dorenkamp, Rochester, Minn., Amy Jo (Rick) Closner, Pine Island, Minn., Curtis (Tammy) Reno, Collin, Ohio, Michelle Johnson (and companion Jake Smith), Belmond, Iowa, Jennifer (Bob) Peffer, Bondurant, Iowa, Ashley (Mike) Ferguson, Marion, Iowa, Stephanie Bock, Belle Plaine, Iowa, Michael Bock, Ankeny, Iowa, Daniel Bock, Belmond, Iowa, Benjamin (Jenny) Dorenkamp, Granger, Iowa, Nicholas Dorenkamp (and companion Amber Weideman), Garner, Iowa, and Jeremy Dorenkamp, Lewisville, Texas; 16 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Delores was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Daryl B. Dorenkamp; husband, Clarence Blau; and brother, Daniel M. Grove. Andrews Funeral Home, Belmond, Iowa.

Globe Gazette -- Mason City, Iowa
June 16, 2013