Sharon Ann Blake

Published 4:49 pm Saturday, April 13, 2013

Sharon Ann Blake (O’Marro), 70, of St. Ansgar, formerly of Austin, Minn., died on April 10, 2013, in Rochester, Minn.

Sharon Blake

Sharon was born on July 14, 1942, the daughter of John and Adeline (Boss) O’Marro in Austin. She was very proud of playing the flute in the Austin High School band and worked at Hormel prior to her marriage. She married Walter Blake on June 10, 1967. They farmed near Stacyville until 1990 when they moved to St. Ansgar. They recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in June of last year. Prior to that, they experienced the marriage of their youngest daughter at sea aboard the Celebrity Eclipse, which toured the Caribbean in February last year. This past January, she was gifted with the birth of her sixth grandchild, Silas Courtney Reese, son of Shane And Susan (Blake) Reese.

Sharon enjoyed reading, watching Fox Cable News, crossword puzzles, jig-saw puzzles, computer solitaire and spending time with her friends, “the Grannies” at the Fourth St. Café. She was an interested amateur genealogist and would often enjoy taking trips with her sister, Barb, to South Dakota to investigate their O’Marro and Boss family history.

While Sharon’s children were young, she volunteered her time at the Visitation Grade School and as a Sunday School teacher. She also worked at the Stacyville Nursing Home for many years, and at the Food Center in St. Ansgar before her retirement in 2005.

Sharon was a member of the Visitation Catholic Church, Stacyville, and was active in regular Bible study with the St. Isidore Catholic Community’s women’s group. In more recent years, she enjoyed traveling and spending time with her grandchildren never missing an opportunity to stop at an unfamiliar antique store with husband in tow.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a son, John Walter Blake as well as a sister and brother, Barbara Kath and Lanny O’Marro; sister in law, Germaine Blake; niece Nicole Kath; uncle and aunt Kent and Judy Keyser and cousin Judy Keyser.

Sharon is survived by her husband, Walter; sons Dennis Blake, Raymond Blake; daughters Cynthia (Greg) Yokanovich, Linda (Luis) Lampon and Susan (Shane) Reese; she was a proud grandmother of six, including Enrique, Catherine, Ileana, Spencer, Evelyn and Silas; brothers-in-law, Dave Kath, Willard Blake, Don and Jean Blake, Chuck and Myrna Blake, Roger and Betty Blake, Glenn and Pat Blake; Blake nieces and nephews, Debra, Diane, Mark, Sandra, Sharon, Mary Beth, Dave, Craig, Connie, Russell, Becky, Vicki, Jeff, Deena and Rodney; O’Marro nieces and nephews, Laura, Lana, Tammy, Jeff, Jamie and Perrin.

Mass of Christian burial will be held on Monday, April 15, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. at Visitation Catholic Church, Stacyville, Iowa, with Msgr. John Hemann officiating. Burial will be in the Visitation Cemetery, Stacyville. Visitation is scheduled for Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Visitation Catholic Church, with a Rosary at 4 p.m. and a Scripture Service at 7:30 p.m. Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home of St. Ansgar is in charge of arrangements, www.schroederandsites.com.