Dorothy Irene (Nelson) Blake, 92, of Galesburg, died at 1:16 p.m. Monday, December 18, 2017 in Marigold Health Care Center.She was born February 7, 1925, in Galesburg, the daughter of Walter Emanuel Nelson and Ruth Elin Adina Johansson Frisk (Johnson) Nelson. She married Russell Keith Blake on October 24, 1945, in Galesburg. He preceded her in death on September 6, 1990. She was also preceded in death by her parents; their only son, Steven Russell Blake on May 27, 1979; and her brother, Francis Arnold Nelson.
She is survived by six daughters, Susan (Keith) Osborne of Plainfield, Illinois, Diana (John) Mulligan of Fresno, California, Bonnie (David) Duane of Knoxville, Illinois, Carol (Jeff Dean) Brooks of Le Claire, Iowa, Peggy Whitman of Galesburg, and Kathleen (Jim) Lannholm of Peoria, Arizona; 20 grandchildren, David R. Brandon, Eric T. Brandon, Rita Brandon McClaren, Jessica Osborne Muench, Zoe Osborne Cremer, Chris McDannell, Kelly McDannell Cocagne, Jeremy Law, Lisa Law Nelson, Michelle French Eidschun, Tiffany Rutledge Munson, Laura Whitman Warner, Stacy Whitman, Kenneth A. Whitman, Charles J. Blake, Christina Blake Dilley, Nathan R. Lannholm, Matthew S. Lannholm, Mark J. Lannholm, and John L. Lannholm; 35 great grandchildren; and nine great-great grandchildren.
Irene was a homemaker and mother of seven children, who spent her life creating her environment around her family by pitching in to remodel an older home and then helping to build a new home from the ground up, teaching her children the value of hard, honest work. She will be dearly missed.
She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Visitation will be 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, December 30, 2017 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. at the church. Burial will be in Oak Lawn Memorial Gardens. Memorial contributions may be made to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Services of Galesburg is handling arrangements for the family. Online condolences may be made at www.h-p-w.com.
