Dean Blatchford

Celebration of Life: https://vimeo.com/event/4432225

Tribute Video: https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/XQRY4ZXBSKLZJJ5S

Dean Blatchford, age 90, of Fargo, ND, passed away on June 27, 2024, in Bethany Retirement Living in Fargo. Visitation will be held on Monday, July 8, 2024, at Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home, from 12PM-1PM, followed by his 1PM memorial service. Pastor Bill Boelter will officiate the service. Burial will be held in Riverside Cemetery, Fargo.

Wendell (Dean) Blatchford, born May 26, 1934 to Raymond and Imogene Blatchford, fifth of eight children, left the mortal world on June 27, 2024. He was born in New Castle, NE, a small farming community. He attended three different one room school houses before the sixth grade, when the family moved to Iowa. He graduated from high school at Luton Consolidated School in 1952.

He worked several jobs, including most of a year in Los Angeles, CA. He returned to Iowa and a year later joined the Army. He finished his military commitment in Sioux City, Iowa with 2 years Active Reserve and 2 years in Inactive Reserve with an Honorable Discharge.

He was employed by Sioux City Dressed Beef Co. as a maintenance person, later becoming a maintenance electrician. In 1966 he took a job transfer to Fargo, ND, later employed by SuperValu Grocery Warehouse as their maintenance/refrigeration supervisor until his retirement in July of 1996.

In 1960 he married Donna Lamp who had been a childhood bible school classmate in Obert, NE. He and Donna had 3 sons. They spent their years in Fargo and the family cabin on Lake Lida, MN. He enjoyed spending time with his family, hunting, fishing and being creative in his workshop.

Donna passed away in November 1996 and in 1999 he married Maren/Marnie (Torrison) Aleckson.

Dean is survived by his wife Marnie Blatchford, sons Bruce in West Fargo, Brian (Stephanie) West Fargo, and Brent (Melissa Milligan) in Fargo, Lissa (Hal) Pohlman, Kristin (Scott) Bodholdt, Eric Aleckson, and Drea Greenawalt; grandchildren Gregory (Elizabeth) Blatchford, Millissa (Kris) Martin, Brady Blatchford, Ashley (Rhiannon) Blatchford, Erin (Jake) Clapper, Alex (Chelsea) Heldt, Erika (Dan) Davis, Fletcher Aleckson, Inga (Richie) Weis, Brita Greenawalt, Abbey Greenawalt, and the proud Great Grandpa for 9, soon to be 10, great grandchildren. He is also survived by sister Ailene and her husband Samuel Gochenour, sister-in-law, Ginger (Dewey) Blatchford, many nieces, nephews and several cousins.