James 'Dick' Russell Blodgett

James 'Dick' Blodgett COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa #45;- James 'Dick' Russell Blodgett, 68, Columbus Junction, died Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003, at Mercy Hospital, Iowa City. Services are 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the Stacy-Lewis Funeral Home, Columbus Junction. The Rev. Donald Bundy will officiate. Pallbearers are Tom Blodgett, Ken Blodgett, Kirk Blodgett, Craig Blodgett, Pat Blodgett, Steve Blodgett and Thad Blodgett. Honorary pallbearers are Josh Phillips, Russell Blodgett, Ronald Blodgett, Sean Burtlow, Tommy Staley, Cody Hartsock, John Burtlow Jr., James Dickess, Austin Varnell, Traven Mills, Marty Johnson, Jim Dickess, Nathaniel Mills, Phil Nelson, Gary White, Jose Sandoval and Lee Burress. Burial will be at the Columbus City Cemetery. Visitation is 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the funeral home. A memorial has been established. Mr. Blodgett was born on April 4, 1935, in Wapello, the son of James O. and Allice L. Cox Blodgett. He married Carol June Miller on April 5, 1952. He later married Rebecca Wheeler on July 1, 1989, at Pleasant Grove Community Church, Columbus Junction. He was employed at the Rath Meat Packing Company, Columbus Junction, for more than...[more]

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years. He was the mayor of Fredonia since 1998. He also worked at Colonial Manor; retired from Wal-Mart after 10 years of service; and farmed for many years. He was a two term past president of the Columbus Junction Lion's Club. He enjoyed square dancing, working with wood, deer hunting and loved his children and grandchildren. Survivors include his wife, Rebecca Blodgett of Columbus Junction; a son, Bruce Blodgett and his wife, Lynn, of Columbus Junction; eight daughters, Bonnie White and her husband, Gary, of Ainsworth, Jayne Johnson and her husband, Marty, of Wapello, Judy Lesiak of Kansas City, Loretta Burress and her husband, Lee, of Columbus Junction, Ladonna Hartsock of Wapello, Melissa Dickess and her husband, Jim, of Tiffin, April Sandoval and her husband, Jose, and Heather Mills and her husband, Nathaniel, all of Muscatine; three sisters, Mary Morgan of Morning Sun, Twyla Williams and her husband, James, of Cedar Rapids and Betty Van Auken and her husband, Jim, of Columbus Junction; two sisters-in-law, Catherine Blodgett of Central City, Neb., and Delores Blodgett of Silvis, Ill.; 26 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Charles, Keith and Phillip; a sister, Doris Krebs; and two grandchildren, Lawrence Sly and Louis Sattler Jr.