Gladys Mabel (Volbrecht) Blume

Gladys Mabel (Volbrecht) Blume, 87, died on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at home in the presence of her loving family. Friends and family are invited to join in a celebration of her life at a memorial service at two o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday, June 22, 2019, at Faith Lutheran Church in Keizer OR (4505 River Road N, Keizer, OR 97303). Rather than memorials the family requests that you keep Gladys’ memory alive in your heart by living a life guided by kindness and empathy.

Gladys was born on July 20, 1931 to Delbert and Ella (Garbe) Volbrecht in Bottineau ND and raised in the nearby town of Kramer. As a child she had a creative mind and enjoyed crafting ships from wood scraps that she would float down Stone Creek. In school she was a talented clarinetist for the Kramer Band, a dedicated student who traversed the snowy plains in a horse-drawn sleigh school bus operated by her father, and a loyal employee of Kromrey’s Grocery Store and her mother’s dress shop in Kramer. She attended university at the North Dakota Agricultural College in Fargo, where she met the love of her life and future husband, Harold Blume. The two were married on November 19, 1950 at Grace Lutheran Church in Fargo.

Together Gladys and Harold shared a storied life operating Blume Farm near the Minot Air Force Base. She was a gifted chef and baker, providing meals for her growing family and numerous farmhands over the years, championing the Super Bread Contest of the 1981 North Dakota State Fair, and receiving endless praise for her talents in the kitchen . She was active in the local community where she served as President of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League at Lynch Immanuel Lutheran Church, volunteer for U.S. Senator Quentin Burdick, and member of the Jet Belles Homemakers Club, Farmers Union, and Democratic Party. After her children were grown the couple moved to nearby Minot for Harold’s employment as a broker for Raymond James Financial Services. They relocated again in 2009 to Oregon (6992 Arrowpoint Court NE, Keizer OR 97303) to be closer to family. Gladys’ interests and talents were endless and included genealogy, writing, knitting, painting, and traveling. She considered her travels through India and Nepal as highlights of her life, although her greatest passion remained loving and supporting her husband and five children. Throughout the years she gained numerous lifelong friends from around the world, as her kindness and compassion were boundless.

She is survived by her lifelong sweetheart Harold Blume, five children, seven grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Her children are Fredrik Blume and Jeanie Harwig of Minneapolis MN, David and Julie Blume of Kathryn ND, Daniel and Jennifer Blume of Portland OR, Mary and Jefferson DeFerrari of Silverton OR, and Roger and Elena Blume of Redmond WA. Her grandchildren are Aaron Blume of Surprise AZ, Lauren Blume and Richard Saunders of Burlington VT, Stephan and Samantha Blume with sons Logan and Leo of Willmar MN, Clinton Blume of Houston TX, Hannah Blume of Portland OR, and Michael and Ava Blume of Redmond WA.