David Blehm

Dr. David Blehm, 59 of Fargo, ND, died Monday, November 7, 2011, at his home in Fargo. David Milton Blehm was born November 20, 1951, at Mason City, Iowa, to Milton and Irene (Reimann) Blehm. He grew up in Denver and Fort Collins, Colorado. The family moved to Bismarck, North Dakota, in 1965. He graduated from Bismarck High School in 1969. David attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, graduating in 1973. He ran asphalt plants in Montana and Wyoming until 1977 when he started medical school at UND, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, graduating in 1981. David served a one year internship in the Internal Medicine Residency Program in Fargo. He completed his Pediatric Residency at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, in December of 1984. He met Julie Bjerke in medical school and they were married in Hatton, North Dakota, on June 15, 1979. His son, Ben, was born June 13, 1980 and daughter, Amy on April 3, 1986. David practiced Pediatrics at Medical Arts Clinic in Minot, North Dakota until 1999, when the family moved to Fargo. He joined Sanford Health in the Pediatrics Department and practiced there until his death. In May of 2011, he became a Medical Director at Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Dakota. He is survived by his wife, Julie, Fargo, ND; son, Ben Blehm, Champaign, IL; daughter, Amy Blehm, Fargo, ND; parents Milton and Irene Blehm, Loveland, CO; brother, Steve (Linda) Blehm, Staunton, VA; sister, Cheryl (Bernie) Blehm-Poskus, Westminster, CO; and numerous nieces and nephews. David cared deeply for children. He was an avid reader, hunter, and a generous supporter of the arts. Memorial Service: Friday, November 11, 2011, at 2:00 PM, at Atonement Lutheran Church, Fargo. Visitation: Thursday, November 10, 2011, from 5-7 PM, with a Prayer Service at 7:00 PM, at Atonement Lutheran Church, Fargo. Memorials are preferred to the Sanford Children’s Miracle Network, North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks, ND, or the Special Olympics of North Dakota Area 6 (PO Box 308, Fargo, ND 58107).