Betty Ann Blair

Betty Ann (Bruce) Blair, 96, passed peacefully Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, surrounded by her three daughters at St. Francis Hospital in Shakopee, Minnesota.

Burial will take place in Greenlawn Cemetery in Afton, officiated by long-time family pastor, Rev. Jim Morris, on a date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Global Zero organization at website globalzero.org would be most welcome.

Born June 23, 1924, in Red Oak, Betty was the eldest of four children born to Clarence and Helen (Chipps) Bruce. Growing up on her parents’ farm, she traveled to a rural, one-room school by pony. When Betty began high school, the Bruce family had moved to Afton and she graduated from Afton High School in 1942. She worked as a secretary until January of 1946, when she then married Donald Blair, also of Afton, a returning World War II veteran.

Don opened a hardware store in Afton and the couple began a family. After four years, following Don’s career in the wholesale hardware business, Don and Betty lived in Glendale, California; Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin; Monticello, Illinois and then Kankakee, Illinois, where they built a home and lived for 35 years.

Never idle, Betty was an attentive homemaker, gardener, cook, antiques collector and quilter. She made dozens of quilts entirely by hand, never using a sewing machine for any part. Her signature homemade egg-noodles and beef dish was served and loved at every family occasion.

Don and Betty raised five children who were born over the span of 10 years — to the day. Even though neither parent had the opportunity, they were gratified that all five children graduated from college, three earning graduate degrees, two, Ph.D.s. Attending their oldest son’s (Bruce’s) doctoral graduation from Yale University was a memorable event.

Don and Betty enjoyed several trips to France and Italy, then in 1993, after Don retired, the couple moved from Kankakee to San Antonio, Texas, where they lived for the next 22 years.

After losing both Don and her son Steve, Betty moved briefly to Creston, then to Minneapolis. Betty will be remembered for her sweet disposition and warm hospitality. A passionate follower of politics, until the very end of her life, she enjoyed discussing the events of the day.

Betty is survived by her sister, Marilyn Lacina of Creston; a brother Charles Bruce (Sandy), of Florence, Arizona; daughters: Kathy Donzis (Lewis) of San Antonio, Texas, her son Bruce’s wife Sally Onesti Blair of New York City, her son Steve’s wife, Jill Firszt, of St. Louis, Missouri and daughter Jann Jarvis (Lanny White) of Savage, Minnesota; 12 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Betty is preceded in death by her parents, a brother Robert Bruce, her husband Donald and both sons Steve and Bruce Blair.

The family is grateful to the staff of St. Gertrude’s Care Center and of St. Francis Hospital, both in Shakopee, Minnesota, where she was cared for with much compassion in her last months. The cause of death was a brain hemorrhage.

Arrangements with McNearney-Schmidt Funeral and Cremation, Shakopee, MN, 952-445-2755. Condolences may be shared at www.mcnearneyfuneralhome.com