Melvin Blobaum

Melvin Blobaum

GIFFORD – The Rev. Melvin Charles Blobaum, 83, of Gifford died on Thursday evening (April 3, 2014) at Country Health Care Center in Gifford.
He was born July 22, 1930, in the parsonage of Hope Lutheran Church, Rhodes, Mich., to the Rev. August Blobaum and Marie (Duden) Blobaum.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Greek from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, in the spring of 1952. He answered the call to study for the Gospel ministry and graduated from Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, with the Bachelor of Theology degree on May 31, 1956.
He married Mary Lou Mixdorf on June 2, 1956, at First Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Iowa. This union was blessed with four children. She died on Dec. 5, 1996.
He was ordained into the gospel ministry at St. James Lutheran Church, Humboldt, Neb., on June 24, 1956.
He answered the call to serve the congregations of St. Peter Lutheran Church, Bassett, Neb., First Lutheran Church, Ohio, Ill., St. Paul Lutheran Church, Gifford, and St. John Lutheran Church, Anchor, from 1982 until his retirement in 1995.
He served as interim pastor at Pontoppidan Lutheran, Elliott; and visitation pastor at St. John Lutheran Church, Royal, until July 2012.
He was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Royal. He served on the board of directors of Country Health Care Center, Gifford, for many years, and was a former member of the Gifford Lions Club.
He was a member of the Martin Luther Men's Chorus and the Central Eastern Illinois Beekeeping Association.
Survivors include four children, Paul Blobaum of Park Forest, Philip (Cindy) Blobaum of Des Moines, Iowa, Margaret (Sean) Coleman of South St. Paul, Minn., and Norman Blobaum of Gifford; four grandchildren, Emily, Jacob, Lee and Anna of Des Moines, Iowa; three brothers, Everett of Strawberry Point, Iowa, Emil of St. Joseph, Ill., and Harold of Strawberry Point, Iowa; and two sisters, Carolyn Schroeder of Lincoln, Neb., and Linda Pein of Champaign.
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. John Lutheran Church, Royal. The Rev. Jay Johnson will officiate. Burial will follow in Beckman Cemetery, Thomasboro.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at St. John Lutheran Church.
Memorials may be made to the Country Health Care Center, Gifford, or donor's choice.