Funeral services for Dr. Henry Jasper Blohm, 94, of Kiester will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Kiester. The Rev. Katie Pals will officiate. Military honors will be accorded by Kiester American Legion Post No. 454. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. “Doc,” as he was known to many, died Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017, at Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea. Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells is assisting the family. To leave an online condolence, visit www.brussheitner.com.

Henry was born April 15, 1923, in Lake City, to Jasper Christian and Albertina Evelyn (Ohleen) Blohm. He attended country school in West Albany Township until fifth grade, when his family moved to Stedman, New York, in 1932. Growing up in the rural area of western New York with his older sister, Winnie, and younger brother, Charlie, he learned to farm with horses and developed his love of gardening through helping his parents and grandparents. He graduated from Chautauqua Central High School in 1940.

Following graduation he came back to Minnesota to attend SAUU, the agricultural college in St. Paul, and graduated in 1942.

Drafted into the U.S. Army, he served from June 1943 to April 1946. He was trained as a medic and spent the winter of 1944 to 1945 in Wales and Germany. He was in central Germany in May when the war ended in Europe. His battalion was to be deployed to the Pacific, but the war ended before they left. Following his active duty, he used the GI bill to attend college and earn his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Minnesota in 1952.

On Aug. 4, 1946, he married Doris Luella Hovland at Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Bricelyn. He briefly practiced in Glenwood and Winnebago before buying a veterinary practice in Kiester in 1953. Henry and Doris had six daughters and were very involved in their school and church activities. He enjoyed traveling, and most summers the family made trips to New York to visit his mother and his brother’s family.

He served in many capacities in the community — on the Kiester School Board, Immanuel Lutheran Church council — which eventually became Our Savior’s, and the Waldorf College Board of Regents. In 1976 he began work for the United States Department of Agriculture in meat inspection, and he continued that until his retirement. Henry always had a large garden, and he also enjoyed woodworking in his basement shop. In more recent years he worked quite a bit on family genealogy. In his 80s he began writing memoirs, beginning with one of his war years, “Incredibly Lucky in World War II,” and continued with stories about his childhood in Minnesota and New York, gardening and his travels.

Henry is survived by his daughters and their families: Susan Blohm of Arden Hills, Nancy and Allan Halvorsen of Emmons, Carol and Brad Soma of Kiester, Diane and Lee Reiersgord of Littleton, Colorado, Janet and Vaughan Pultz of Kirksville, Missouri, and Karen and Dan Black of Waverly, Iowa; his sister, Winnie Cummins of Webster Groves, Missouri; grandchildren Anne Halvorsen, Mark Halvorsen (Amber), Christine Soma (Paul Odegaard), Michael Soma (Britt), Britt and Kristian Reiersgord, Ruslan and Ana Pultz, and Ruth and Rachel Black; and great-grandchildren Vanessa Halvorsen, Isabelle Doucot, Emma, Lucas and Samuel Halvorsen, Clara and Leo Odegaard and Nora, Henry and Joanna Soma. He also has a surviving sister-in-law, Joan Blohm; and brother-in-law, Howard Hovland, and his wife, Eunice.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Doris, in 2003; his parents Jasper and Albertina Blohm; and brother, Charlie.

Memorials are preferred to Interfaith Caregivers of Faribault County, Senior Resources of Freeborn County and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.