Grace P. Blessing LUVERNE, Minn. - Grace Philetta Blessing, 92, of Luverne died Monday, Feb. 1, 1999, at the Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne.

Services will be 10 a.m. Thursday at St. John's Lutheran Church in Luverne with the Rev. Chris Hinkle and Rev. Iver Possehl officiating. Burial will be at 1 p.m. in the Sheldon Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be 2 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 5 to 8 p.m., at the Engebretson Funeral Home in Luverne. Visitation will also be one hour prior to service time at the church.

Mrs.Blessing was born March 12, 1906, at Inwood, Iowa, the daughter of Waldo J. and Mable M. (Savage) Stearns. She graduated from Inwood High School and earned her teaching certificate from the University of Iowa. She taught in country schools at Ashton, Inwood and Larchwood, Iowa.

She married Victor Blessing Dec. 28, 1928, in Sioux City. The couple made their home in Granville and Marcus, Iowa, where she wrote news items and sold advertising for her husband's weekly newspapers. She served as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader and Red Cross volunteer. She was a member of Luthern churches in Germantown and Marcus.

The couple later moved to Paullina, Iowa, for 10 years where she served as a member of Dorcas Society at Zion Lutheran Church. They moved to Luverne in 1955. He died Aug. 22, 1975, and she moved to Heritage House in Luverne in 1992. In 1996, she moved to the Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne.

Mrs. Blessing was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday school, was a member of the Women's Society and an honorary member of the Deborah Circle. She also was a member of Extension and Morning Glory Garden Club.

Survivors include three daughters and their husbands, Carol and Dr. William Hollander of Sioux City, Rebecca and Don Schmeckpeper of Minneapolis and Lynn and Ron Anderson of Brandon, SD.; a son, Don Blessing and his wife, Ruth, of Bloomington, IL.; 10 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; a brother, Edward Stearns of Sacramento, Calif.; nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews and great-great-nieces and nephews. She was also preceded in death by a brother, Harold J. Steams,, and a sister, Helen L. Imbody.

Sioux City Journal - Feb 03, 1999