Shirley Blessum
Funeral services will be held Monday, April 27, 2009 at Bethany Lutheran Church for Shirley Ann Blessum, 73, who died Tuesday, April 21 at the Heart of America Long Term Care Center.
Burial will be in Island Lake Cemetery, rural Rolette, later in the spring.
Shirley was born March 26, 1936 in Rolla, the daughter of Philip and Lucille (Barron) Horswill. She was raised in the rural home of her parents in the Nanson area of Rolette County and received her education at the Scotch Block School near her home. On Nov. 21, 1955 she married Clarence Blessum in Minneapolis. The couple lived in Minneapolis for a short time and then moved back to North Dakota, settling in Wolford. Clarence suffered a stroke in 1996 and has resided at the Good Samaritan Health Care Center in Lakota since. Shirley moved to the Haaland Estates in March of 1997 and to the long term care center in 2005.
She was a member of Wolford Lutheran Church and its WELCA.
She is survived by her husband; two sons, Harold, St. John, and Mike, Petersburg; two daughters, Julie Blessum, Tolna, and Jan Kruk, Willow City; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a brother, Galen, Red Lake Falls, Minn.; three sisters, LaVonne Radnicki and Blanche Gill, both of Apache Junction, Ariz., and Joyce Agnes, Bottineau; and other relatives.
She was preceded in death by three brothers, Harland, Merlin “Buck” and Llewellyn “Welly” Horswill; and her parents.
Pastor Phil Leer officiated. Special music was provided by the Mennonite Family Singers. Organist was Jane Ekren.
Casketbearers were Chad Blessum, Jason Blessum, Danny Agnes, Dave Agnes, Jim Douglas and Tim Douglas. Honorary bearers were the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Arrangements by Anderson Funeral Home, Rugby