Delores Blehm Has Passed On

Delores J. Blehm, our friend and Bob's high school classmate, passed away in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 14, 2020. She was born and raised in Wellington, Colorado, the only daughter of Solomon and Clara Blehm. Her one sibling was brother Vernon Lee "Vernie" Blehm who died in Fort Collins in 2006.

This is not an official obituary. I won't try to list her cousins and other family members. Instead it is our way of saying goodbye to Delores.

Bob remembers Delores as a straight A student at Wellington High School, the only girl in her physics class. She took to chemistry like some take to sports, understanding, liking it and excelling in the study of it. She went on to get a degree in chemistry at Colorado State University before moving to St. Louis where she went to work for a large chemical company.

I asked Bob to describe Delores and he immediately said "she was exuberant!" He remembers she had beautiful penmanship, high intelligence, and a love of science. After she moved to St. Louis we only communicated with Delores when she returned to Wellington for vacations and class reunions, which was seldom. And, of all our Wellington friends only Bill West ever visited Delores at her home in St. Louis. That is fitting for she always had a special place in her heart for her friend and classmate, Bill. Delores never married, but she dated a man in St. Louis for several years, a man we never knew.

Afghan hounds became Delores's passion, raising them, showing them, and giving her love to them. She worked as a chemist all her life until her health failed. I am not sure when she was diagnosed with cancer but I believe it was in 2017. At that time she was gravely ill but after treatment recovered and moved back into her home with the help of good friends and her church family in St. Louis. Thankfully, Delores had three more years of life before succumbing to the cancer which moved into her brain. 

Our last visit with Delores was in 2011 at the 50th reunion of Wellington High School class of 1961 hosted by Janice and Ted Lind at their home in Fort Collins. Delores was vibrant, healthy, and happy to be together with her friends. The photograph included with this piece was taken that day.

Rest in peace, Delores. You were loved. We will remember the lively, animated, always smiling friend who breezed through every so many years to brighten our lives.