Della “Sue” Blomquist – West Frankfort, IL

She married her college sweetheart, Jon, moving to the Chicago area, where they raised their daughter, Beth. She and Jon moved to the Denver area in 2014 to live near their daughter.

Della made friends wherever she went, always involved in the community. She didn’t go anywhere without running into someone she knew. There was always a garden in the yard, where she enjoyed watching the wild birds and butterflies that were attracted to the native plants. She continued the trend when she moved to Colorado, filling her balcony with flowers. Della collected teddy bears, with one for every occasion and season, sharing them with others. Genealogy was her other passion. She researched both her family and her husband’s, meeting relatives and interested people around the world. She was rarely without a book at hand. Her first act after moving to Colorado was to locate the closest library and used bookstore.

Della’s passing leaves a hole that we will never be able to fill. She is survived by her husband Jon; daughter, Beth; sisters, Judy Summers and Edna Ezell; and countless precious nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family.

Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 23, in Bethel Cemetery.

Morton and Johnston Funeral Home in Benton is in charge of arrangements.

For more information or to sign the online guest register, visit www.mortonjohnstonfuneralhome.com.

In Della’s memory, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, stjude.org, Bears and Blankets, http://www.bearsandblankets.org/#!donate/c1d1z; and the Freedom to Read Foundation http://www.ftrf.org/donations/.