Cornelia “Nel” Blankendaal

Published December 21, 2019 at 4:14 PM

Nel Blankendaal, 94, of Peoria, AZ, passed away Dec. 19th, 2019, at home with family members by her side. A memorial service, along with the burial will take place at a later date in Fargo.

Nel Roozendaal was born in St. Maarten, Netherlands, on Nov. 6th, 1925, the 3rd of 12 children. She married Martin Blankendaal on April 22, 1948, in Harenkarspel, Netherlands. They emigrated to America a year later, journeying to LaMoure, ND. In 1955, Martin and Nel moved to Fargo, where Martin began work at NDSU, and Nel worked housekeeping at St. John’s Hospital and NDSU.

She was an excellent seamstress and a skilled knitter. She once won a medal for ice skating. She was a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church’s Ladies Circle. Nel loved to play cards with her friends.

Nel is survived by her 4 children, John (Alicia) Blankendaal, Owensboro, KY, Ann (Tom) Holme, Ames, IA, Michael (Kristine) Blankendaal, Midland, TX, Mary Kay (Gary) Hamilton, Peoria, AZ, 7 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, and 6 sisters in the Netherlands.