Delores “Dee” Blomberg, age 87, formerly of Albert City, Iowa died on July 18, 2016 at the Lake Minnetonka Shores nursing home in Spring Park, Minnesota.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 30, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Albert City. Burial will follow in the Fairfield Township Cemetery in Albert City. Visitation will take place Friday, July 29, 2016 from 6-8:00 p.m. at the Sliefert Funeral Home in Albert City. The Sliefert Funeral Home in Albert City is in charge of the arrangements.

Delores Esther Anderson was the daughter of Alwin and Eva Olive (Svensson) Anderson. She was born in Laurel, Nebraska on September 2, 1928. Her family included her three brothers Lawrence, Art and Arnold “Ole” Anderson, a sister Opal Anderson who died in infancy and her sister Idris Burow. Dee said she grew up in a “small country home”. Her family credits Dee with giving her brother Arnold his nickname Ole because she could not pronounce Arnold and he preferred to be called Ole throughout his life. Dee’s parents were both of Swedish descent and Dee passed along many Swedish recipes and traditions to her family. She was considered the expert on lutefisk which she cooked every year for the family Christmas celebrations.

An early tragedy in Dee’s life was the death of her mother Olive when she was just 7 years old. She said “I remember after my Mother died how our church ladies would come out to our farm home and clean and bake for us….I’m sure they did it to help our Aunt Esther, my mother’s sister as she did so much for us.” Dee went to country school near Laurel, Nebraska, and attended high school in Concord, Nebraska. She relocated to Iowa as a teenager to live with her brother Lawrence and his wife Ila and graduated from high school in Albert City, Iowa.

After graduation, she worked at AC Cafe as a waitress where she met her husband George “Pooley” Blomberg. They were married on March 17, 1951 at the Evangelical Free Church in Albert City, Iowa. Dee and Pooley had four children, Judi, Gregg, Angie and Scott. A second tragedy in Dee’s life was the death of her son Gregg at the age of 5 in 1961, a loss that Dee mourned for the rest of her life.

Dee and Pooley ran a restaurant in Albert City known as Pooley’s Drive Inn for over 30 years. Dee enjoyed cooking for their many customers. Pork tenderloin sandwiches, broasted chicken and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies were just a few of her special dishes. Dee was the first boss for many teenagers who recalled Dee’s favorite saying was “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.” After selling their restaurant, Dee became a cook for 11 years at the Senior Center in Albert City and was honored for her work there by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad.

Dee enjoyed many activities and always liked to stay active. In addition to spending time with her family, she had the opportunity to travel within the US and in Europe. At home, Dee enjoyed sewing, crocheting, scrapbooking, shopping, baking, cooking holiday meals, and writing poetry. Dee always liked to exercise and led many to join her for walks and bike rides.

In her memoirs, Dee said that she hoped her children learned from her “honesty, consideration for others and their lawns and property. I always strived to do my best in everything and give it all you’ve got.” She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren and was especially close to her sister Idris throughout her life. Dee was long time member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Albert City and her faith was a constant source of strength and comfort.

Dee is survived by her daughter Judi, her granddaughter Julia, her daughter Angie and Angie’s husband Tony, her son Scott, Scott’s wife Mary, her grandson Matt and her granddaughters Jana and Lydia and many other family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her son Gregg, husband Pooley, her parents, her three brothers and her two sisters. Dee’s family expresses their deepest gratitude to the many people who provided her compassionate care over the last few years of her life. These caregivers included numerous family and friends in Albert City, the Lake Minnetonka Shores memory care and nursing home staff and the Park Nicollet hospice team. Dee’s family is grateful to have had such support for Dee and her family in their time of need.

 Service Information