Dora Marie (Nyblom) Slack

Dora Marie Slack, age 100 of Belle Plaine formerly of Le Sueur, entered eternal life at Kingsway Retirement Living in Belle Plaine on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.  Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 12 at First Lutheran Church in Le Sueur with Pastor Carl Bruihler officiating.  Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. on Monday, November 11 at the Kolden Funeral Home in Le Sueur, and will continue one hour prior to service time on Tuesday at the church.  Interment will be in Mound Cemetery, Le Sueur.

Dora was born on June 25, 1919 to Frank and Helen (McConkey) Nyblom in Tyrone Twp., Le Sueur Co., MN.  She married Russell Slack on August 8, 1945 in St. Paul, MN.

Dora may have only completed the 9th grade but she became a lifelong lover of learning.  She made sure her home had a wide assortment of books, atlases, and magazines.  She proudly flew our flag and had a huge picture with all the president’s pictures and biographies so her children could share her love of our country.  Music and the Arts were very important to her.  She taught herself to play the piano by ear and made music an integral part of her children’s lives.  Everyone took music lessons and her house was filled with song.  She provided the opportunity for her grandchildren to have a piano in their house.  Her family went to countless musicals and plays in the cities. 

She was famous for her cooking.  Her guests could not leave her home without having a wonderful meal or dessert.  Her sugar cookies were a favorite of everyone.  She loved gardening and her strawberry rhubarb jam was a specialty.  If she knew someone who didn’t have a place to go for a holiday she would invite them to join her family.  At 97 she was still taking her famous homemade noodles and chicken soup along with blueberry muffins to anyone that was ailing in her mobile home park in Arizona. 

In 1978 Russell and Dora started wintering at Trailrider’s Park in Mesa, AZ.  They loved the weekly dances, card games, potlucks, and craft activities the park had and made many lifelong friends.  They loved having their children and grandchildren come visit them.  They also enjoyed traveling to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, France, England, Monte Carlo, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii and throughout the United States.  She was proud of being Swedish and during trips to Sweden connected with many first cousins.  She honored her heritage by having traditional Swedish Christmas dinner complete with Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes with rutabagas, rice pudding with a hidden almond, krumkake and rosettes.

She was in constant motion, never able to sit still. At 90 she was still push mowing her yard.  She made hundreds of knitted mittens for kids in northern MN who didn’t have any.  She gave anyone who came to visit a homemade Christmas angel or a dishtowel that was made to look like a dress.  She lovingly sewed and embroidered each grandchild a baptismal gown and for their graduation knitted them a personalized afghan.

Her faith was very important to her.  She loved reading her well-worn Bible and made time for daily devotions.  She shared her faith by being kind and welcoming to everyone she met.  She recently said that loving each other was what Jesus wanted us to do.

She is survived by her children, Joy (James) Meyer, Linda (Duane) Knutson, David Slack, Debbie Lawrence, Kevin (Idelle) Slack, Keith (Chris) Slack, and Patti Slack; grandchildren, Kirsten (Jeff) Huber, Shawn (Kristina) Meyer, Bret (Jennifer) Knutson, Ryan Knutson, Christopher (Tonya) Slack, Holly Slack, Chad Lawrence, Kyle Lawrence, Nicholas Slack, Danielle (John) Tieben, Andrea (Clint) Hodgdon, Patrick (Katie) Slack, and Alexandria (Daniel) Armitage; 26 great-grandchildren; 1 great great-grandson; sisters, Gloria Webinger and Myrna (Richard) Schultz; brother-in-law, Ray Miller; and many nieces and nephews.

Dora is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Russell in ’03; daughter-in-law, Susan; siblings, Albert, Lloyd, Mable, Duane, Vivian, Francis, Eleanor, Eileen, Earl, Rose, and Lorraine.

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