Blondeen Ann (Quiring) KOLBO

KOLBO, BOYD, RATZLAFF, QUIRING, WHITE, HALL, SCHMIDT, KOOGLE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:07:00

Blondeen Ann Kolbo
Story City, Iowa
November 3, 1929 ---- January 1, 2021

Blondeen Ann Kolbo, 91, of Bethany Life in Story City passed away on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021 at Mary Greeley Medical Center. Friends may call from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, at Christ Community Church, 5501 George Washington Carver Ave., Ames, Iowa 50010, where there will be a funeral service held at 6 p.m. A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Logan Park Cemetery in Sioux City. Due to COVID-19, face masks and social distancing guidelines will be required. Arrangements are under the direction of the Adams Funeral Home.

Born Nov. 3, 1929 in Weatherford, Okla., Blondeen was the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Ratzlaff) Quiring. She graduated from Weatherford High School in 1949, classmates with Thomas Stafford, Apollo 10. She earned an Associates Degree in Bible & Music from Grace Bible Institute in Omaha, Nebraska in 1951. Blondeen was united in marriage to Kenneth L. Kolbo on July 2, 1950 in Corn, Okla. Blondeen later attended Buena Vista University where she earned a bachelor's degree and the University of South Dakota, earning a Master's Degree in Education. She taught special education in Exira and Sioux City before retiring from Eagle Grove Schools in 1995.

Blondeen was a member of Grace Evangelical Free Church in Eagle Grove. From her German/Mennonite youth and with great interest in Christian missions and evangelizing, she led many Bible studies in her home and went on a Central American mission trip to help construct a church. She loved traveling and in later years was able to tour the Holy Land with Zola Levitt Ministries and enjoyed a camel ride in Egypt.

Blondeen was an accomplished seamstress, making her own wedding dress and family clothing over the years. She also enjoyed doing cross-stitch, knitting, crochet, and china painting. Blondeen loved gardening. She kept beautiful flowers and a large vegetable garden, canning the produce. Blondeen also enjoyed antiques. She maintained storage buildings full of furniture which was rescued from lonely garages or bought at auctions to be refinished.

She gradually abandoned her many projects and fought Alzheimer's/dementia for over 20 years, living in Madrid Home Assisted Living, Windsor Manor, Nev., and finally several years at Bethany Life, Story City. Through those years, visits and outings with children and grandchildren were always welcomed.

Blondeen is survived by a son, Thomas (Diane) Kolbo of Ames; a daughter, Ruth (Roger) White of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; grandchildren Ryan (Patti) Kolbo, Heidi (Nick) Boyd, Heather Kolbo, Aaron (Beth) Kolbo, Adrian Kolbo, Adam (Angie) Kolbo, Annika Kolbo, Russell White, Rissa (Evan) Hall, and Ragan White; great-grandchildren: Zachary Kolbo, Abby Kolbo, Noah Kolbo, Jacob Boyd, Tyler Boyd, William Boyd, Madison Kolbo, Dylan Kolbo and Grace Kolbo; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, John (Suzanne) Kolbo; a great-granddaughter, Ava Kolbo; three sisters Frieda Quiring, Rachael Schmidt, and Evalena Koogle; and a brother, Elmer Quiring.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family for future designation.