Lolita Fern Blaha

LOLITA FERN BLAHA

Marengo

Lolita Fern Blaha, 88, of Marengo, died Sunday, March 17, 2019, at her home.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday,

March 24, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, where visitation will be held from 1 p.m. until the start of the service. Burial will take place at Oak Hill Cemetery in Coralville. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in her name. To share a thought, memory or condolence with her family, please visit the funeral home website at www.gayandciha.com.

Lolita Fern Hearn was born Oct. 23, 1930, in Waterville, Kan., daughter of Amos George Hearn and Neva Mattie Rosella Lacey. She married Joseph E. Blaha on Jan. 13, 1959, in North Liberty. The couple lived in the Coralville area until moving near Marengo in 1973. Lolita was not only a farmwife, mom and grandma, but she also worked for Amana Refrigeration on the assembly line for a number of years. Following this, she worked as a nanny for a family in Rhode Island, caring for their family, who simply adored her. She moved back to her rural Marengo home following this.

Her family includes her children, Jerry Day, Ellen Day, Bill Day, Joe Blaha Jr., Tim Blaha (Gene), Terri Taylor (Joe), Grant Blaha (Kelly), Lolita Linn Blaha Harbit (Lisa) and Connie Raines; 17 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and siblings, Jean Brundege (Jim), Carrol Morehead (Steve), Jim Hearn and Lois Semotan.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, six siblings and one granddaughter.