Blake, Lauralee Silver

Lauralee Silver Blake, formerly of Iowa City and Toledo, passed away Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010, at Crestview Nursing and Rehab Center, West Branch, surrounded by her loving children. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo, with Pastor Brian Oliver officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent in care of Larry Blake, 1238 Tyler Ct., Iowa City, IA 52240.

Lauralee was born in Cantril, Iowa, to Virgina Jarman and Frank Fordyce Silver on August 16, 1919.

She attended college at Blue Mountain Baptist College for Women in Blue Mountain, Miss., and completed her educational degree at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa. She taught in La Porte City, Albion and Tama, Iowa.

She was married to Harold Blake on Oct. 11, 1940, in Kansas City, Mo. They eventually settled in Toledo, where they raised their seven children.

Upon retirement they moved to Plano, Texas, and later to McAllen, Texas. They returned to Iowa in 1988, and resided in Iowa City.

Lauralee belonged to the Toledo American Legion Auxiliary and was a volunteer at Mercy Hospital and the senior center in Iowa City.

Lauralee, a devoted mother and grandmother, is survived by her seven children, Jeri Lee (Cleon) Melsa of Crookston, Minn., Jacqueline (Allen) Kloess of Iowa City, Larry (Jan) Blake of Iowa City, Barbara (Robert) Hagerty of Deep River, Peggy (Michael) Mumford of Rockwall, Texas, Debbie Patton of Thornton, Colo., and Trudy (Joel) Ebersole of Arvada, Colo.

Lauralee was blessed with 15 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; a brother Frank (Betty) Silver of St. Simon Island, Ga.; and many nieces and nephews.

Lauralee was preceded in death by her parents, Virgina and Frank Silver; her husband, Harold; an infant son, Harold Jr.; and her sister, Jacqueline (Silver) Bear.

Online condolences and memories may be left for the family at under obituaries.