Evon Lou Blankmeyer , age 85, of Savage, MN , sadly left her family and was welcomed home in heaven by her Lord and Savior , on Saturday, November 23, 2019, at Savage Senior Living .
A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, December 3 , at 1 0 am, with a visitation from 8 :30- 9 :45 am , at Ballard-Sunder Funeral and Cremation , 4565 Pleasant Street SE , Prior Lake, MN. Evon will be laid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, in Minneapolis, MN.
Born in Minneapolis, MN , o n August 21, 1934, Evon was the daughter to Lloyd and Eva ( Helwick ) Nestrud . She grew up in Nor th Minneapolis with her brother , Lloyd , where they embraced their Norwegian heritage. Countless hours were enjoyed sitting around the table with family and friends socializing and drinking coffee . Early in Evon ’ s high school years, the Nestrud family moved to the small rural farming community of Freeborn, MN, due to her father’s job, as an auto mechanic. Evon was very intelligent and graduated with high honors.
Evon returned to the Minneapolis area and attended a secreta rial school. For the next several years, s he used these skills as a n administrative assistant at various companies, such as American Tobacco in Denver and Seattle and later on at the Illinois Institute of Technology , in the research department .
Life was enriched becoming a wife. Through mutual friends, at a dinner party, Evon was introduced to Don Blankmeyer . The y courted for a short time and on July 4, 1964 , in Minneapolis, Evon and Don exchanged wedding vows. They spent the next 55 years enjoying many great adventures . Don ’s career took them all over the United States . Evon was such a good sport , never complained and started packing for another excursion. Through the years, the y lived in Oakland, CA, Mobile, AL, Miami, Fl , Beulah, ND, Richland, WA, Vancouver, WA , Chicago, IL , and almost 20 years in Boston, MA , just to name a few cities . Eventually, Evon returned to her roots in Minnesota , with the last few years in the Savage community.
Evon felt the most fulfilled being a mother and grandma. She and Don adopted a three – day old beaut iful baby girl named Rebecca. Their hearts were instantly filled with great joy! Evon now focused on being a devoted mother. Her life was once again enriched becoming a grandma to Stephanie and Joshua. They brought Evon so much happiness and she relished every moment spent with them.
Family was impo rtant, but Evon couldn’t have any of t h ese joys , without a strong faith . In every city , she and Don lived, they were involved with church in that community. Evon spent countless hours attending bible stud y, worshiping on Sunday’s and sharing her faith with others. Evon was known to turn others to believe in her beliefs. While living in California, Evon got involved with the Billy Graham Crusade and even worked with Pat Boone .
Evon had an amazing personality. She was very giving and caring . Evon opened her heart and arms to anyone , especially to other during tough times. She was em pathic , honest, kind and lov ing. Evon had a gift to gab and could strike up a conversation with a total stranger. She loved taking walks, cooking, sewing and bird watching. Evon relished opening her home to others and entertaining them .
The legacy will live on in the hearts of those who loved Evon the most, especially, husband, Don; daughter, Rebecca Hopkins; grandchildren, Stephanie Blankmeyer , Joshua Hopkins; brother, Lloyd (Carol) Nestrud ; other relatives and friends.
Evon was greeted home in heaven by her parents, Lloyd and Eva.
Ballard-Sunder Funeral and Cremation proudly served and cared for the Blankmeyer family.
