Clement Blong

CLEMENT BLONG

Cedar Rapids

Clement "Clem" Blong, 92, of Cedar Rapids, died Sunday, March 16, 2014, at Cottage Grove Place in Cedar Rapids. Mass of Chris-tian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 22, at St. Luke's Catholic Church, St. Lucas, with the Rev. Nick March presiding. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, March 21, and after 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the church.

Clement Rowan Blong was born July 27, 1921, the son of Clement and Elizabeth (Leibold) Blong, on the family farm near St. Lucas, Iowa. Clem attended St. Luke's Catholic School in St. Lucas. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II from 1940 to 1945 aboard the USS Wyoming, and then attended radio and radar school. After the war he returned to Cedar Rapids and worked at Collins Radio, which later became Rockwell Collins, for many years. He was proud to have worked on the team which helped with the Apollo Space Project from start to finish.

Clement enjoyed traveling the United States with family, fishing up north and visiting with his family.

Clement was a member of St. Matthew's Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids and a former member of St. Luke's Catholic Church in St. Lucas.

Clement is survived by his three siblings, Rose Blong, Cedar Rapids, Viola Schmelzer, Appleton, Wis., and Irvin (Marie) Blong, Fort Atkinson; along with several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Clement was preceded in death by his parents, Clement and Elizabeth (Leibold) Blong; a sister, Florence (Dr. Daniel) Poirier; and a brother-in-law, Joe Schmelzer.

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