Colleen Virginia Bluemlein

Colleen Virginia LeRoy Bluemlein Saginaw, Michigan Born March 21, 1924 to Elmer LeRoy and Delilah Landeryou. The first of five children, her siblings including: Elmer Jr., Robert, Roselyn, and Thyra. Colleen's mother, Delilah, died of pneumonia just a short time after Thyra's birth. Colleen helped care for her siblings (except Thyra who was adopted by loving family friends). Her father was an engineer on the railroad following WWI and raised his family in Saginaw's east city. Colleen married Melvin Phillip Bluemlein, the only child of Phillip and Clara Bluemlein. They loved her dearly and in later years, after Phillip's untimely death, Colleen took her beloved mother-in-law in and cared for her until Clara's death. Mel and Colleen had four children: Kenneth, Clifford, Colette Sue (Deibel) and Mark. Colleen was a stay at home mother and enjoyed many wonderful years, near her siblings in Saginaw. Together, Mel and Colleen built a cabin on Wixom Lake, a home in Saginaw Township and several business ventures, including Melcraft Marina. Mel died too young at age 47, leaving Colleen with three of her children at home. She started her career at Lakeside Village Retirement as a leasing agent and quickly became the manager for the complex. She received praise from the corporation as well as the United States Government. They awarded her property recognition as one of the best HUD housing facilities in the country. She was loved by the tenants of Lakeside for over twenty years as she sympathized with, listened to, counseled and nurtured them. Every holiday, she prepared and cooked a dinner for anyone who had nowhere to go for the holiday. The Deibel children spent every holiday at Lakeside Village with Grandma's twenty-plus loved elderly guests. From her they learned to show love and respect to these dear men and women as they helped them prepare their plates, helped them to their seats and played games after dinner with them. She lived a life of service. Her strong will, sense of humor, wit and ability to empathize will be missed. If she saw a need she was quick to help and willingly gave nearly everything she had to those she loved. Colleen loved and welcomed Charlotte (Sandberg), Ann (Scott), Dave Deibel and Sandy (Staples) as in-laws. She is preceded in death by her siblings Elmer Jr., Robert and Thyra (Hill). She is survived by her best friend forever, her sister Rose (Simon), her beloved sister-in-law, Alyce LeRoy, and her nieces and nephews. Her fourteen grandchildren were a great joy to Colleen. She is survived by her grandchildren: Ann (Bluemlein) and Josh Herron, Heather (Bluemlein) and Jason Lewis, David Bluemlein, John Bluemlein, Holly (Bluemlein) and Matt Harker, Sara Bluemlein, Dr. Matthew and Emily (Smith) Deibel, Chris and Sarah Jane (Allred) Deibel, Kelli (Deibel) and Michael Connell, Elisabeth (Deibel) and Michael Bishop, Dr. Jonathon and Elizabeth (Gordon) Deibel, David and Allison (Aston) Deibel, Meghan (Deibel) and Adam Stoddard, and Catherine Deibel. Collectively they gave her 34 great-grandchildren. A special thanks to all the aide workers, nurses and doctors at HealthSource who she called friend. Funeral services will take place at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 17, 2016, at Church of Jesus Christ, Latter-Day Saints 1415 N. Center Rd. Friends may visit with the family at W.L. Case & Company 4480 Mackinaw Rd on Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and again at church on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Humanitarian Aid through the Church of Jesus Christ LDS. www.casefuneralhome.com

Funeral Home:
W. L. Case and Company Mackinaw Funeral Chapel
4480 Mackinaw Road
Saginaw, MI
US 48603