Arlene H. Blessing

Arlene Blessing DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Arlene H. Blessing, 82, Davenport, died Saturday, April 29, 2006, at Genesis Medical Center - East Campus, Davenport. Funeral Service will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 3, 2006, at Weerts Funeral Home, Davenport. Burial will be at Fairmount Cemetery, Davenport. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, 2006, at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church. Mrs. Blessing was born June 28, 1923, in Davenport, the daughter of Harry and Sadie Koeppe Lantau. She married Harry G. Blessing on Sept. 24, 1942, in Davenport, and together they raised five daughters. He preceded her in death Sept. 22, 1990. She graduated from Davenport High School. She owned and operated Blessing Gardens, Davenport, with her husband and his sister, Katherine Blessing. She was an avid Cubs fan and enjoyed many family activities throughout her life, including canning, embroidery, shopping, baking and her favorite daytime soap opera "Days of Our Lives." Her greatest joy was her family and the Blessing home hosted many large family gatherings. The Blessings were known for their generosit...[more]

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n gifts and food at these gatherings and holiday celebrations. Every year, Christmas was prepared for with a cookie baking party and Christmas Eve was celebrated with a visit from Santa, who handed out candy canes and gifts. Easter was an event full of hidden surprises for all the family and highlighted by Fannie May cream eggs. She will be remembered for saying that children are "only young once" and should be able to enjoy their carefree youth. Her daughter, Sheri, cared for her devotedly throughout her later years and particularly with her recent battles with cancer and pneumonia, which eventually took her life. Survivors include four daughters, Shirley Brown and husband, Larry, of Thornton, Colo., Linda Fierce and husband, Warren, of Davenport, Carole Nagel of Bettendorf and Sheri Blessing of Davenport; eight grandchildren, Jeffrey Brown, Amy Hansen, Nicole Irlbeck, Emily Gordon, Nathan and Laura Fierce, Jonathan and Jennifer Nagel; 10 great-grandchildren; siblings, Lee Loncarich of Bettendorf and Robert and JoAnn Lantau of Davenport; family friend, Dennis Costello of Charlotte, Iowa; and two sisters-in-law, Katherine Blessing of Bettendorf and Shirley Lantau of Davenport. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Joyce Graves; and a son-in-law, James Nagel.