Obituary of Barbara Lois Bloom

Barbara L. Bloom, 98, of Clarinda, Iowa entered into peace Saturday, March 25th, 2023, at Azria Care and Rehab Center, Clarinda, Iowa.

Barbara Lois (Lair) Bloom was born on December 24, 1924, in Northboro, Iowa, to Otis and Georgia (Gell) Lair. She grew up in Northboro, Iowa and attended the Northboro Community Schools.

On August 3, 1942, Barb married her high school sweetheart Kenneth Bloom. In November, Kenny was called into the army, so they moved to Salina, Kansas, where Barb worked at the local soda fountain shop. Once Kenny’s time in the service was over, they farmed with Kenny’s father northeast of Northboro until purchasing their own farm east of College Springs, Iowa. She and Kenny were blessed with three children, Lynn, Mickie, and Jo.

As a young woman, Barb was a stay-at-home mother raising her three children. She spent hours sewing clothes for her children and keeping up on the housework. She also kept busy on the farm gardening, canning, keeping chickens, and helping Kenny outside when needed. In her spare time, she enjoyed playing scrabble, doing crossword puzzles, and finding a good mystery to read. In her later years, she enjoyed her plastic canvas projects and maintained an extensive thimble collection. She was an active member of the United Methodist Church in Northboro, College Springs, and Shambaugh. She played the piano for church services and taught the adult Sunday School class. She always enjoyed researching the history of the Bible story as she prepared her lesson each week. When her children got older, Barb enjoyed earning her own money cleaning houses and filling in at the school cafeteria.

Barb was preceded in death by her parents, Otis and Georgia (Gell) Lair, husband of 70 years, Kenneth Bloom, her 27-year-old daughter, Michaelyn June (Bloom) McClarnon, daughter-in-law, Nancy (Annan) Bloom, grandsons, David Kyle McClarnon, age 26 and Matthew Craig McClarnon, age 5, sister-in-law Dorothy (Bloom) Merryman and brother-in-law Miles Merryman.

Left to cherish her memory are her son Kenneth Lynn Bloom of Clarinda, Iowa; daughter, Shirley Jo (Bloom) Mondero of Bellevue, Nebraska; grandchildren, Dee Bryant (Mike) of Clarinda, Iowa, Kevin McClarnon (Dianne) of Ardmore, Tennessee, Karen McClarnon (Greg) of Clarinda, Iowa, Brenda Engstrand (Rex) of Cumming, Iowa, Jessica Saunders (Jeff) of Harlan, Iowa; great-grandchildren, Amanda Clemens (Joe), Megan Fidler (Jason), Jacob Bryant (Kelsey), Luke McClarnon (Jenna), Ben Engstrand (Samantha), Kristina Pitts (Jesse), Mason Saunders and Miles Saunders; 9 great, great-grandchildren; brothers-in-law, George Bloom (Naomi) of Wichita, Kansas and Max Bloom (Carolyn) of St. Charles, Iowa; nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.