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Submitted: June 01 2004
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Eugene Nelson Blocker, 84, of Ely, died Saturday, April 17, 2004, at 
his Birch Lake cabin. 
He was born Feb. 19, 1920, in New Ulm, Minn., to Louis and Caroline (Nelson) 
Blocker, and attended Springfield High School. 
He grew up in the Springfield, MN., area on a farm and later moved into town. 
He worked at Tauers Grocery Store until he went into the Air Force in 1941.
Gene served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, where he served in 
North Africa and Italy as a B-17 mechanic. 
He married Lois Richter in 1946. He moved to Isabella in 1951 and worked 
for the U.S. Forest Service. He moved to Ely in 1954 and continued to work 
for the Forest Service until his retirement in 1982. Gene worked for many 
years as a volunteer at the Ely Senior Center, where he delivered Meals on 
Wheels. He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, where he enjoyed many 
years of service as a treasurer along with many other capacities. 
He enjoyed all his time at the cabin on Birch Lake with poker nights, 
saunas, smear, and all his buddies. Deer season was the most special 
time of the year for Gene. He was a special friend to anyone he met and 
was very devoted to his whole family. He will be greatly missed by many. 
He is survived by his daughter, Sandra Jean of Phoenix; a son, Bruce (Beth) 
Blocker of Ely; sisters, JoAnn Class of Apple Valley, Minn., Marlene Flaig 
of Eau Claire, WI, Naomi Snegaski of CA, LaVonne “Bonnie” Bly of Holland, 
MI, and Ramona Hansen of Sturgis, SD; grandchildren, Jennifer Blocker, 
Tonya Blocker, and Kelley Blocker; great-grandchildren, Gary Johnson, and 
Blade Carlson; special friend, Katharine Lenich. 
He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Rosalyn Toich, and 
Mildred Meyer; grandson, Steven Blocker. 
Memorial services were held Monday at Grace Lutheran Church in Ely. 
The Rev. William Fossum officiated. Arrangements are by Kerntz Brothers, 
a Bauman Family Funeral Home in Ely.