Edwin Roger Blomberg of Ogema was welcomed into heaven on February 6, 2022. Edwin "Ed" was born to the late George and Lillian Blomberg on December 22, 1920, in Ogema, Wisconsin and was the third oldest of 14 children. Ed completed his high school education at Rib Lake High School in 1939.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ed enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942 and was handpicked to join the Fourth Raider Battalion, initially commanded by the late Brigadier General James Roosevelt. He served until 1945 and received the purple heart for wounds received during combat in the Pacific Theater. Ed became a ranger at Yosemite Park in 1947. It was during that time, reflecting on how he had been spared during the war, that Ed felt called by God to a greater purpose and decided to enroll in Bible School at Northwestern College.
In 1952, Ed married Jewell Hunt, originally from Calumet, OK. In service and devotion to God, Ed and Jewell became missionaries. From 1952 to 1957, he and Jewell served in Nebraska under the American Sunday School Union before departing to Belize in 1957 with the Gospel Missionary Union (now Avant Ministries), where they would serve for 24 years. Ed's early life and military experience equipped him with the necessary skills to build and construct schools, churches, and a boarding education center that was first a Bible School and subsequently a Christian High School, King's College. King's College continues today. Ed and Jewell also helped establish multiple churches in the Spanish speaking villages of northern Belize.
Ed cared for many of the Belizean children who adopted him as "Dad" or "Grandpa Blomberg" and more importantly a spiritual leader and mentor in their life. He was also blessed with fatherhood in 1960, and again in 1970, when he and Jewell adopted daughter Le Ann and son Victor in Belize, respectively.
Upon retiring from missionary service in Belize, Ed along with his wife and son, settled down in their home in Wisconsin. However, his calling led to him to lead short mission trips to Guatemala, Peru, Columbia, Haiti and occasionally, back to Belize. In retirement, he enjoyed logging in the woods with his Belgian draft horses, hunting, gardening, establishing a small apple orchard, and making maple syrup each spring. Ed was proud of his heritage and was able the repurchase, along with two brothers, the farm his grandparents bought when they immigrated to the U.S. from Sweden – a.k.a. the Blomberg Homestead. Renovating the Homestead was a labor of love for many years. Ed and his wife also became very involved in Hope Hospice where he served as Chaplin for 12 years. His devotion to Hospice went beyond just visits - he and his wife brought several patients to the Homestead to live when the patient did not have a caregiver at home. Additionally, Ed spent several years as "Mr. fix it" in support of his wife who provided care to her aging parents in Oklahoma until they were called "Home".
In the early 2000s, Jewell wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Ed lovingly and faithfully cared for her for over 13 years until she went home to be with her Lord and Savior after 63 years of marriage.
In later years, Ed had the privilege to participate in an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. (2016), be the keynote speaker at the 50th anniversary of King's College in Belize (2017) and be inducted into the Rib Lake High School Hall of Fame (2020). In 2021, a book on the Raider Battalions was released and he had the honor of being the only living raider of the four featured to attend the promotional event at the Marine Raider base at Camp LeJeune, NC (2021). Many in the Ogema and Spirit communities may remember him as the WWII veteran who recited the Gettysburg Address by memory for Memorial Day services at the Garden of Memory or Spirit Town Hall.
In addition to his parents, Ed was preceded in death by eight brothers; Alan, Wilbert, Ivar, John, Roy, Palmer, Lawrence, and infant Palmer; and two sisters Grace Rhody and Betty Nelson.