Isabel Blaken

Isabel Leone Blaken, 90, of La Crosse passed away on Monday, July 21, 2014 at Benedictine Manor, with grace and dignity, after a short bout with cancer. Isabel was born on February 18, 1924 to Marcus N. and Sarah E. (Ottman) Ames, the sixth of seven children. Isabel was a life- long resident of La Crosse. She was proud to have graduated from Logan High School in 1943. She always enjoyed the Ranger Rally Reunions with her high school friends Victor & Lorraine, Charlie, Shirley & Fern. She married William W. Brieske on December 13, 1943. They were married for 31 years and had three daughters, Judith, Cynthia and Constance. She later married Ronald T. Blaken of Melrose, WI. They were happily married for eight years before Ron passed away.
Isabel had many roles in life. She was a AAA travel counselor, a deputy with the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Department and of course a loving Mom and Grandma. She loved music, musicals, singing, flowers, all the holidays (she loved to decorate and buy gifts and goodies for her family), and watching the golden oldie movies on TCM. She also loved volunteering at St. Francis (Mayo) Hospital for 38 years- mostly in the gift shop.
She is survived by her daughters and their families, Judy (Daniel) Boehm of La Crosse, Cyndee Guertin of La Crosse and Connie (Gene) Odegard of Sanford, FL , eight grandchildren Brian R. Bender of La Crosse, Bradley W. (Theresa) Bender of Galesville, WI, Bruce A. (Debbie) Bender of Dallas, TX, Barry J. (Tammy) Bender of Ventura, CA, Sarah (Michael) Herold of La Crosse, Jesse (Teal) Prestwood of Sanford, FL, and Abram & Isaiah Odegard of Sanford, FL, ten great grandchildren Brendt W. and Brendon P. Bender of Galesville, WI, Brett, Brandon (Kelly), Callie L. and Rose Bender of Dallas, TX, Blake and Kailee Bender of Ventura, CA, Camryn A. Mattison of La Crosse and Caster T. Prestwood of Sanford, FL , along with one great-great grandson Brantley Bender. She was preceded in death her parents, her two husbands, brothers Dexter, Joseph, Frank, Kenneth and Ivan, a half-brother Vernon, sister Ella M. Young, also long-time companion and best friend Myron Helgerson.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Monday, July 28, 2014 at the Schumacher – Kish Funeral & Cremation Services, 200 West Ave. S., La Crosse. Pastor Ted Dewald will officiate. Burial will follow in the Mormon Coulee Memorial Park. Friends and family may call at the funeral home on Monday from 11:00 AM until the time of service.
Isabel’s family wishes to thank very sincerely all the caregivers at Benedictine Manor and Hillview Health Care Center, also the nurses from Hospice Care and Dr. Stephan Pavela for their kind and patient care during her brief illness.