Blythe A. Ehlers, 81, formerly of Rockford, IA died on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at the Nora Springs Care Center.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, September 23, 2021 from 5-7 p.m. at Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 2nd St SE, Mason City, IA 50401. A funeral service with a one hour prior visitation will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, September 24, 2021 at Fullerton Funeral Home with Pastor Dennis Burns from the First United Methodist Church in Rockford, IA officiating. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Rockford.
Blythe was born on March 8, 1940 in Austin, MN to Edgar “Ted” and Pearl (Tanner) Ballanger. She was raised on a farm 2 miles outside of Brownsdale, MN and graduated high school then earned her 2 year college degree in bookkeeping. Blythe worked at Production Credit bank as a bookkeeper in Blooming Prairie, MN. On September 15, 1962 she was united in marriage to Marvin Ehlers at the First Baptist Church in Brownsdale, MN. The couple moved to Rockford after marriage when Marvin got a job at Oliver Farms. To their union two children were born, Sherrilyn and David; Blythe became a stay at home mom. Blythe and Marvin ran the Trading Post Store in Rockford from the 1980’s-2010. In their later years, they also had several rental properties. For nearly 25 years the couple took care of foster children.
Blythe was a very social person and enjoyed having customers come into the Trading Post Store just to visit. She cared deeply for others and it was a priority to make sure everyone received a Christmas present. Blythe loved to cook and would take a plate to anyone in need. Blythe possessed this caring manner for animals too. She often fed the stray cats behind the Trading Post Store and even rescued several of them.
Her hobbies included going to garage sales or auctions; she was an avid collector of dolls and figurines. She had accepted Jesus Christ as her savior and during her younger years their home hosted “Joy Club,” which was an afterschool bible study for kids.
Those left to cherish her memory include her two children, Sherrilyn Ehlers and David (Jean) Ehlers; foster son, Donald Fredrickson Jr.; sister, Bernice Tara and granddaughter, Amanda.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband in 2014.
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