Luella Carlblom

Memorials are preferred to The Gideons International. Luella Susan Carlblom, age 81, of Mountain Lake, Minnesota, died peacefully Saturday, January 23, 2010, at Eden Adult Care Center in Mesa, Arizona, as the result of brain cancer diagnosed in October, 2009. Luella Susan Carlblom, age 81, of Mountain Lake, Minnesota, died peacefully Saturday, January 23, 2010, at Eden Adult Care Center in Mesa, Arizona, as the result of brain cancer diagnosed in October, 2009. Luella was born March 9, 1928, in Mountain Lake, Minnesota, the daughter of Jacob J. Toews and Agatha (Franz) Toews, and grew up on a farm four miles north of Mountain Lake. She accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior in July, 1940 and was baptized in the lake at Mountain Lake in 1942. Luella attended grades 1 through 8 in the District 67 school in Midway Township and grades 9 through 12 at Mountain Lake High School, graduating in 1946. In 1949, she graduated from St. Paul Bible Institute, a college of the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination. Luella married Glen Carlblom at the Alliance Missionary Church in Mountain Lake on October 14, 1950. The couple farmed together for 38 years. In addition to being a homemaker, Luella worked in the office of the Mountain Lake Hospital for 14 years starting in 1968, advancing from a clerical position to assistant administrator. The couple began spending their winters in Arizona in 1982 and retired from farming in 1988. Throughout her life, Luella was active in the Alliance Missionary Church, sharing her gifts of music and teaching. She lent her strong alto voice and outstanding sense of harmony to the church choir and smaller ensembles. She and Glen, with their children, also sang for a variety of church functions. Luella had a marvelous way of sharing the truths of the Bible and the love of Jesus as she taught children in Sunday School, Wednesday Clubs, and Vacation Bible School, as well as leading neighborhood Good News Clubs. Luella was also very active in the Women's Missionary Prayer Fellowship of her church, as well as in The Gideons Auxiliary, both in Minnesota and Arizona, serving as an officer on the local and state levels. Luella continued her contributions of music and volunteer service as an active member of the church at Superstition Sunrise RV Resort in Apache Junction, Arizona, where she and Glen have wintered for the past seventeen years. Along with her love of music, Luella enjoyed gardening, sewing, crafts, playing games, and socializing with friends. Of greatest delight to her were her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Luella is survived by Glen, her devoted husband of 59 years; son Doyle (Dori) of Hong Kong; son Torrey (Julie) of St. Peter, MN; son Rollin (Linda) of Chandler, AZ; daughter LuAnn (Kerry) Raadt of Northfield, MN; son Brian (Sheila) of Marion, IN; 11 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Marie Odens of Stillwater, MN; sister Joan (Glenn) Levno of Clearbrook, MN; brother Bill (Eileen) Taves of Colorado Springs, CO; sister-in-law Mary Taves of Woodridge, VA; and sister-in-law Gladys Toews of Waseca, MN. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother Marvin Taves; brother Jacob A. Toews; and brother-in-law Arthur Odens.