Carol Blegen

Carol Blegen, age 81, of rural Decorah, Iowa, passed away Sunday, June 29, 2025, at her home after her courageous battle with cancer.

Funeral service will be at 11:00 A.M. Monday, July 21, 2025, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Locust, 1638 Big Canoe Road, Decorah, IA 52101, with Rev. Randy Kittelson presiding. Private burial will be at the church cemetery.

Visitation will be from 2 – 5 P.M. on Sunday, July 20, 2025, at Helms Funeral Home, 306 E. Water St, Decorah, IA 52101.

Carol Fay Blegen was born January 21st, 1944, to Virgil and Lucella Bender.

Carol spent her entire life in the Decorah area. She attended country school until it was time to go to high school. She went to Thomas Roberts (Decorah) High School and graduated in 1962. After graduating, she pursued a career as a hairdresser, attending beauty school in Rochester, MN. During that time, she dated Donnie Blegen and they married on February 8th, 1964.

Carol worked as a beautician for a short time, but motherhood was soon her new career. She was a devoted and loving stay at home mom, raising 2 children for several years. In 1983, Don and Carol bought and moved to her family farm. Country life always suited her very well, but she had a passion for gardening, vegetables and flowers were always plentiful at the Blegen farm. In 1984 with one out of the house and the other starting high school, Carol decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps by going to work in the kitchen at the North Winneshiek School. This allowed her to use her awesome baking skills. She served up cinnamon rolls, peanut butter bars and chocolate bottom pie (all icons at that school) to hundreds of children over years. She also had an unwavering faith and was a large part of her family church community at St. John’s Church in Locust.

Carol is survived by daughter, Shelly (Brian) Carolan, son Jeff (Kelly) Blegen, grandchildren; Brittany Provost, Clayton (Chelsea) Provost, Brianna (Ryan) Waite, Wyatt and Paige Blegen, great grandchildren; Creed, Capri and Cade Provost, Hadley and Colton Waite, along with brother in-law and sister in-law Doug and Rosi Blegen, brother in-law Howard McIntosh and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Donnie, twin granddaughters Kaylee and Raelyn, parents, Virgil and Lucella Bender, sister Elaine and brother in-law Dean Yarwood, father in-law and mother in-law Art and Vi Blegen, sister in-law Judy McIntosh, nephew Norman McIntosh and several aunts, Uncles and cousins.

Carol was a kind, loving soul, and amazing wife, mother and grandma to her family and wonderful friend to many. She touched many lives and is and will be missed terribly by so many.