Valerie Blend

Valerie Blend, 60, New Salem, died July 25, 2018 at her home.

A funeral service will be held at 11 AM on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, at Peace Church, New Salem, with Pastor Joshua Eddy officiating.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday.  Burial will be at Bethel Cemetery in rural New Salem.

Valerie was born June 3, 1958, in Bismarck to Edgar and Esther (Wolf) Hoesel.  Raised on a farm south of New Salem, Valerie graduated from New Salem High School and went on to attend Bismarck Junior College.  On October 20, 1978, she married Bruce Blend at Peace Church in New Salem.  They made their home on a farm south east of New Salem where they raised their three children.  Val and Bruce worked together farming and ranching.  Val was a loving and giving person and her grandkids were her pride and joy.  She loved seeing wildlife out her back window and birdwatching, especially blue jays.  Val was a wonderful cook and always took care of others before herself.  A caring and dedicated wife, mom, and grandma, Val will be missed by those who knew and loved her.

Blessed to have shared her life is her husband of 39 years, Bruce Blend, New Salem; three children, Toby (Tessa) Blend, New Salem, Justin (Jessica) Blend, New Salem, and Shila (Ben) Thorson, Mandan; 12 grandchildren, William, Christian, Cloe, Daniel, Lucy, Johnny, Jamie, Lillian, Susan, Grace, Sophie, and Calvin; her parents, Edgar and Esther Hoesel, New Salem; one sister, Cherie (Stephen) Nicolai, Milnor; three brothers, Keith (Roberta) Hoesel, New Salem, Mike (JoAnn) Hoesel, Mandan, and David (Susan) Hoesel, Dickinson; sister-in-law, Wanda (Glen) Lennick, New Salem; and brother-in-law, Wade (Mari Jo) Blend, Mandan.

Val was preceded in death by her father and mother-in-law, John and Erna Blend.