Patricia Frances (Freund) Blum, daughter of Mathew and Mary (Gross) Freund, was born December 12, 1935. She attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Earling, Iowa for grade and high school. She graduated from St. Joseph’s High School in 1953. After graduation Pat was employed at the Shelby County A.S.C. office in Harlan until her marriage in 1956.
Patricia married Chris Blum on August 21, 1956 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling. To this union, seven children were born. Pat and Chris began to work on the family farm near Portsmouth in 1956.
Chris and Pat were members of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Panama. They served for three years on the Parish Council. Pat served as an officer of the Ladies’ Groups, was a communion minister and served on the Liturgical Committee. In her spare time, Pat loved to garden, crochet, embroider, and quilt. She made a quilt for each of her seven children, sixteen grandchildren, and twenty-seven great grandchildren.
Pat died on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, Iowa, attaining the age of eighty-four years, eleven months, and twenty days. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Chris Blum, her siblings Eunice (Louis) Masching, Marilyn (Gene) Schwarte, and Jim Freund.
She is survived by her children Dean (Bracinda) Blum of Woodbine, Iowa; Connie (Al) Tielebein of Norwalk, Iowa; Janet (Dan) Hansen of Earling, Iowa; Jo Ann (Monte) Hubbard of Wheatland, Wyoming; Karen Blum of Chicago, Illinois; Sue Kratky of Fairway, Kansas; Kenny (Mae) Blum of Woodbine, Iowa; 16 grandchildren; 27 great grandchildren; siblings Alice (Don) Miller of Defiance, Iowa; Lois (Don) Sonntag of Atlantic, Iowa; Denny (Helen) Freund of Earling, Iowa; Phil (Jane) Freund of Dow City, Iowa; nieces and nephews; other family members and friends.
Private Family Graveside Services will be held Saturday, December 5th at 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Panama. A Private Extended Family Visitation will be held prior to the service on Saturday. December 5th from 11 a.m. to 1 pm. at the Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan. Burial will take place in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Panama, Iowa. The Pauley Jones Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
