Connie Blume

CONNIE RAE SPARRGROVE BLUME

Eugene, Ore.

Connie Rae Sparrgrove Blume, 65, of Eugene, Ore., formerly of Eldora and Strawberry Point, died Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. Services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, at United Methodist Church in Strawberry Point. Visitation will be held one hour before the service Saturday at the church.

Survivors include her husband, Donald Blume; children, Kristopher (Cindy) Knospe, Kendra (Tom) Van Gelder, Jessica (David) Rasmussen and Don Blume Jr.; brothers, Charles (Jane) Sparrgrove III, Jim Sparrgrove, John (Peggy) Sparrgrove and Brian (Sheryl) Sparrgrove; sisters, Darlene Cook, Barb (Roger) Williams and Candy (Keith) Thompson; her parents: Charles and Virginia Sparrgrove Jr.; and her grandchildren, Cyrus, Zane, Lydia, Dirk and Virginia.

She was preceded in death by her sister, Diane Sparrgrove; and nephews, Jeremy and Steve Sparrgrove.

Connie was born to Charles and Virginia (Sherbon) Sparrgrove on Oct, 29, 1954, on a small farm near Strawberry Point. Connie graduated from Starmont High School in 1972 and Upper Iowa University in 1976. She married Randall Knospe in 1974, To this union two children were born, Kris and Kendra.

Connie was employed as a middle school language arts teacher for the Hubbard school district. She left that job to become the children's librarian for the Iowa Falls Public Library and later moved to Eldora to become the library director for the Eldora Public Library. Connie was active in the church choir and she taught Sunday school. She also was active politically in Hardin County in the Democratic Party. In 1998, Connie and Kendra moved to Oregon, where she married a high school friend, Donald Blume, on Dec. 29, 1999. Connie worked for the Lane County government, first in the medical unit of the jail and then the elections office. Her favorite role was as Gramma to her beautiful grandkids.