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Alta Nelia (Lindaas) Bloomquist

Oct. 2, 1936 – Apr. 10, 2020

Alta Nelia (Lindaas)

Bloomquist , 83 died on

Good Friday April 10,

2020, at the Good Samari-

tan Home Lakota ND. Alta

was born October 2, 1936,

the youngest daughter of

Arthur and Nellie (Bottolf-son) Lindaas. Alta was

raised on the family farm

near Garske, ND and at-

tended school in Devils

Lake ND. Despite having

major back surgery while

in school she maintained

her studies and graduated

with her Central HS class

of ’54’. Alta married Carl

Bloomquist on June 24,

1955 at St Olaf Lutheran

Church in Devils Lake

ND. She attended Concor-dia College in Moorhead

MN, Mayville State

Teachers College and re-

ceived a Bachelor of Sci-

ence degree in Education

from Minot State Teach-

ers College in 1962. Alta

taught English and was

the librarian for Model

High School, Campus

School in Minot and the

Memorial Jr. High School

at Minot AFB. In 1969

Carl and Alta and their

son Rudi moved to

Bismarck, ND and Alta

was the children’s Librari-an at the Veterans

Memorial Public Library.

In 1970 the family re-

turned to Alta’s family

farm near Garske, ND,

while living on the farm

Alta taught in Hampden

and Churches Ferry as an

English teacher. Alta also

attended college at UND

in Grand Forks ND and

received her Master of

Science Degree in Educa-

tion in 1973, she graduat-

ed with honors. During

this time they planned

and built their farm home

with the help of family

and friends where they

farmed and lived for 40

years.

Alta was the proud des-

cendant of Norwegian

pioneers. She was a

member of the Lake Re-

gion Pioneer Daughter’s

working to remember and

preserve their heritage.

She was also a talented

musician and sang with

many groups including

the Silver Sensations and

the St Olaf Choir. As a

member of the Devils

Lake Music Club she was

active in encouraging

youth to pursue their

music ambitions, by help-

ing sponsor many to at-

tend the International

Peace Garden Music

Camp and as the

children’s choir director

at St Olaf. She was in the

cast of several plays of the

Fort Totten Little Theater.

She was active with the

VFW auxiliary, AAUW,

Sons of Norway, IOOF

Rebekah’s and the St Olaf

ACLU and WELCA. She

also assisted Carl in estab-

lishing the ND Bull Ses-

sion and Maritime Muse-

um and worked at catalog-ing the many items in the

museum.

Carl and Alta

researched their families’

heritage and returned

many times to visit rela-

tives in Norway, Sweden

and Finland. They in re-

turn hosted their relatives

visiting the farm. They

also traveled extensively

throughout the USA and

Canada while going to

reunions of Carl’s navy

ship DD702 and visiting

relatives and friends. Alta

enjoyed the farm and her

garden, she often said

June in North Dakota was

the most beautiful time of

the year with the new

growing crops. She was

the baker of countless

birthday cakes, known for

her pickles, potato salad,

and banana cream pie.

Carl and Alta moved into

assisted living in Devils

Lake and Carl died in

January 2018, Alta lived

in their apartment until

declining health moved

her into the Good Samari-

tan Home in Lakota. We

sincerely appreciate the

care they received while

at Heartland in Devils

Lake and moms caregivers

in Lakota. Angels of Mer-

cy everyone!

Alta is survived by her

son Rudi (Dianne) Bloom-

quist, Starkweather;

granddaughters Michelle

(Phil) Thomas, Fargo ND;

Traci Todahl and Didier

Hirwantwari, Kettering

OH; great grandsons Caleb

Thomas, Maddox West.

Also surviving are nieces

and nephews Annie Sal-

ing, Paradise, CA ; Libby

Rolnick, Novato, CA; John

Jennings, San Jose, CA;

Siggie (Phil) Stillman,

Newcastle, CA; Elsa

(Tom) Guiney, Portland

OR; Cecelia (Ken) Lingle,

Colorado Springs, CO;

Caryl (Bob) Rutten,

Bismarck ND; CJ Bloom-

quist, Devils Lake ND ; all

their families and

numerous relatives in Ca-

nada and Norway.

She was preceded in

death by her husband

Carl, father Arthur, stepfa-

ther Rudy Sorenson and

mother Nellie Sorenson,

brother Oliver Lindaas,

sister Hannah

brother-in-law Frank

Scholler, sister-in-law

Ione (Norman) Jennings,

Brothers-in-law Dale

Bloomquist, Jim Bloom-

quist and sister-in-law

Betty.

Due to the travel and

gathering restrictions

caused by the covid-19

virus, there can be no

traditional funeral. Inter-

ment will be beside her

husband of 62 years in the

Devils Lake ND Cemetery

on Saturday, April 18,

2020 at 10:00 a.m. Remain

in your vehicles if attend-ing. Please visit the Gil-

bertson Funeral Home

website to sign the

memorial book. Any

monetary gifts should be

directed to St Olaf Church

in Devils Lake ND, the ND

Bull Session endowment

at Lake Region State Col-

lege in Devils Lake, or to a

charity of your choice.

Cards can be sent to Rudi

Bloomquist 6747 81st Ave

NE Starkweather, ND