Samuel Walter Blakeslee passed away peacefully at his home early Saturday morning on June 9, 2018. Celebration of Life for Samuel Blakeslee will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday June 23, 2018 at Cherry Grove United Methodist Church in Cherry Grove with Pastor Deanna Woodward officiating. Visitation will be held 4-7 p.m. Friday June 22, 2018 at the Hindt Funeral Home in Spring Valley and will continue for 1 hour prior to the service.
Sam was born on March 31, 1941 to Walter Douglas Blakeslee and Juanita (Driscoll) Blakeslee. When Sam was two years old, Juanita passed away. Walter married Elizabeth Gustafson in 1949.
Sam grew up on the family farm and graduated from Wykoff High School in Wykoff, MN. Sam met his wife, Gloria (meyer) Blakeslee, while attending high school. They married on April 23, 1960 and were happily married for 58 years.
After marriage they left the farm for a few short years, returning to the farm to raise their three sons. Sam raised beef and crops on the family farm. He was employed at IBM in Rochester, MN.
After retirement from IBM, he worked in the feed department at CHS in Grand Meadow for several years. Sam stood tall amongst the crowd and will be missed by many. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and had the honor of becoming GREAT grandpa (Opa).
He enjoyed participating in many activities, however what he loved most of all was spending time with his family. Few grandparents would take on nine grandkids for an entire week in the summer, but Sam and Gloria did with open arms. The memories that were made are second to none.
This, along with driving many miles with Gloria to visit family, are a couple of the ways he showed his love. Born into farming – caring for animals and God’s green earth, cultivated a great level of respect and love for the land. He instilled those virtues in his Sons and their families.
The farm also became a gathering place for friends and family. Sam is survived by his wife Gloria, son Michael (Janae) Blakeslee of Cannon Falls, MN, son Daniel (Terese) Blakeslee of Greenville, WI, daughter-in-law Connie Blakeslee-Berg of Roseau, MN, and a sister Mary Ann Blakeslee of St. Charles, MN. He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Stephanie (Roger) Howard, Ben (Sarah) Blakeslee, Allison Blakeslee, Heather (Ryan) Sands, Tom (Raafia) Blakeslee, Megan (Jacob) Cahak, Kyle Blakeslee, Jordan Blakeslee, and Hunter Blakeslee and eight great grandchildren: Wesley Howard, Emma and Adam Blakeslee, Blake and Lauren Sands, Aydin Blakeslee, and Grethen and Cameron Cahak.
Sam was preceded in death by his parents, stepmother, son Wesley Blakeslee, step-brother Robert Gustafson and step-sister Mary Linn Posey. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Cardiac or Nephrology Department at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
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