Madeline Blommel

Madeline E. "Helen" Blommel, age 96 of St. Rosa, died peacefully on Sunday, January 15, 2017 surrounded by her family, at the CentraCare Health Nursing Home in Melrose, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, January 18 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in St. Rosa with Rev. Eberhard Schefers officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. Parish prayers will be at 5 p.m. followed by the Christian Mothers/Women, Catholic United Financial, and the VFW Auxiliary at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home.

Madeline Elizabeth Blommel was born July 28, 1920 in Millwood Township, Stearns County, Minnesota to Fred and Bertha (Herzog) Dickhaus. She married Aloys Blommel on September 4, 1940 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Melrose. They farmed in St. Rosa for 40 years then moved to town. In 1990 they moved to Melrose. Helen was a resident of Pine Haven in Melrose since 2011. She enjoyed quilting, crocheting, cooking, cake decorating, playing cards, and watching the MN Twins.

Helen was a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Christian Mothers/Women, Catholic United Financial, and the Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050 Auxiliary.

Survivors include her children, Arnold "Arnie" (Mary Jane) Blommel of Freeport, Leroy (Marilynn) Blommel of Birch Lake, Herb (Cindy) Blommel of Andover, Mary (Gordy) Kuznia of Lake Crystal, Ann (Bud) Heidgerken of Freeport, Dan (Phyllis) Blommel of Avon, Joan (Mike) Ellering of Melrose, Jim (Denise) Blommel of Sartell, Bill (Yvonne) Blommel of Willmar, Ken (Val) Blommel of Montevideo, and Lisa (Dale) Austing of St. Rosa; 35 grandchildren and 55 great-grandchildren; sisters, Monica Ahrens, Corine (Jim) Shay, and Karen (John) Callahan; and sisters-in-law, Betty Dickhaus and Rosie Dickhaus.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Aloys Blommel on October 20, 2002; parents; sons, Gerald, David, and Patrick Blommel; brothers, Henry, Vernon, and Alquin Dickhaus; sisters, Marie Hinnenkamp, Alma Frieler, and Irene Poepping; sister-in-law, LuAnn Dickhaus; and brothers-in-law, Ralph Ahrens, Bernard Frieler, Herbert Hinnenkamp, and Sylvester Poepping.