Obituary announcement for Myrtle Ann Blasey-Klukas
Myrtle Ann Blasey-Klukas of Omaha, Nebraska passed away at age 71 in Bemidji, Minnesota. Myrt had fought ovarian cancer for three years before succumbing to the illness. It was her wish to spend her final days in her retirement home on Lake Andrusia. Myrt was hospitalized for a brief time at the Bemidji Hospital until her peaceful passing on Sunday, August 28th, 2011.
Myrt's Life
Myrtle Ann was born in Crookston, Minnesota on February 27, 1940. Her parents were Ethel (Kitchell) Blasey and Joseph Blasey. The Joseph Blasey family included sister Patricia, brothers Joseph, John and Robert, sister Kathy and brother Daniel. "Myrtie Ann" as Ethel called her was baptized, later confirmed, and married at St. Joseph's church in Ada. She was raised on a dairy farm near Ada. Myrt graduated high school in 1958 as a Ada "Viking". Myrt continued her education at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. She obtained a bachelor of science in Foods and a minor in Journalism from the "U" in 1963. At the University she met her husband Rich Klukas and married, June 10,1961.

Myrt and Rich worked three seasons for the Gallatin National Forest as lookouts in a fire tower north of Yellowstone Park, 1961-1963. This was a great wilderness experience they treasured. Myrt was the first fire carded woman on that Forest. Myrt helped support Rich in his graduate studies that later led to an opportunity to begin a career with the Park Service at Everglades National Park in 1965 They started their family in December of 1963 in St. Paul with son Thomas. Later, their second son, Timothy was born in the Everglades of Florida in 1965. Myrt's career was a professional homemaker while the family lived in Flamingo and later Pine Island. Nearly every weekend was spent on the water in the "Florida Keys".

Myrt's family life changed with a move to Colombia, South America as she Rich and the boys became Peace Corps volunteers. Their generation had a desire to get out and make the world a better place and preserve the environment, so this was a unique opportunity to do just that. For a few years, the family worked in the national park system of that country and with food and nutrition science programs. This rich experience gave Myrt some excellent training in Spanish that later helped her teach the language. The term of the Peace Corps tour came up and Myrt's family moved back to the United States to Atlanta, Georgia for a few years. Myrt continued working out of the home and did some work in department stores with the food and kitchen appliance divisions while Rich was again with the Park Service. She also did some substitute teaching at the nearby elementary school.

Myrt's bags were packed again in 1976 where she moved to Hot Springs, S.D.. She liked to travel to the Bighorn Mtns. on camping trips and to Minnesota to be with her family in Ada. Her life became very active with the teaching community in Hot Springs as a substitute and later a full time teacher. She tackled her teaching credentials by attending college courses at Dakota Wesleyan College in Mitchell, S.D. to obtain degrees in language arts and a minor in Spanish. Myrt presided and participated in various teacher groups, the national organization of women, and even got in the political arena in 1982 by running for Secretary of State of S.D. Her teaching career was continuous from 1979 to 1991 at the high school. She taught and coached debate, taught English, and Spanish. She supported track and cross country meet functions her sons participated in and missed very few of those events. Some of her students in Debate and Speech obtained national recognition. Her teaching contributed to students obtaining scholarships and expanding their horizons. Myrt made lots of great friends in the community and in the high school. Most of her son's friends would gladly join in a supper at the Klukas house as they commented it was like going to a international restaurant. Her cooking skills were greatly appreciated by all who stayed and visited her home. Myrt and Rich raised their boys through High School in Hot Springs and got them through their secular and religious education needs. The boys were supported by their parents to pursue athletics, hunting, fishing, hiking, education and travel. Myrt and Rich encouraged healthy debate and discussion at the family table. At one time, all of the family had "red cards" for fire fighting. Myrt did not drive and was known by many of her students as the teacher that walked very fast. For years she walked or rode a bike to her job. Later, Rich worked in Yellowstone Park. while Myrt continued to teach at Hot Springs. At Yellowstone Park, she did a lot of touring, hiking and fishing during the summer months.

Myrt and Rich moved to Omaha, Nebraska in 1992 where she got started teaching Spanish at the all girls Roman Catholic Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart until 2005. Myrt had some great classes of kids to teach and people to work with. Myrt got started in taking some of her students to Spain on field trips in the summer. She thoroughly enjoyed those trips and her sister in-laws and daughter in-law participation on those trips. Before retiring in her career, Myrt and Rich began exploring the lakes of Minnesota during their summer months. She caught plenty of fish on those trips and was able to see more of her family in the Cass Lake area.

Following retirement, Myrt turned her attentions to traveling around the world to various locations with Rich. She continued to sponsor some trips to Spain with the Academy. Traveling to see her family, going to reunions became some of her key activities. Antiquing and selling antiques kicked into overdrive as a hobby. She also began knitting caps for newborns as an evening hobby while watching "Judge Judy" and other TV series. Myrt and Rich took the plunge to get a retirement home at Lake Andrusia in 2006. This became her "new home".
Myrts travels and other items of interest
Myrt traveled to 6 of the seven continents. She traveled to Canada, Costa Rica, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, China, Australia,Mexico, Spain, Morocco, Colombia, South America. She lived in Ada, St. Paul, Lookout Mtn., Montana; Everglades National Park, Florida; Armenia, Colombia; Atlanta, Georgia; Hot Springs, S.D.; Yellowstone National Park,WY; Omaha, NE; Lake Andrusia, MN. Her hobbies were collecting unique Seminole dolls, antique cookware and furniture, recipe books, spoons, wattware, Mickey Mouse items, Mexican pottery, and Yellowstone memorabilia. She was skilled at sewing, knitting, and crochet. She played a guitar in the early 70's and played an accordion, and also a drum. Trout and freshwater fishing were some sports she did well at. Myrt liked to hike with a ladies club in Yellowstone Park. She liked organizing events and having fun with the ladies card group at Lake Andrusia. Photography became one of her later interests. Board games, card games and trivia were other things she liked. Myrt was an avid reader and had the ability to read several books in a week.
Cooking was a gift Myrt had and she got this in part from her mother, Ethel. She was an apple and cherry pie baking champ of the state of Minnesota. She made a pie at a benefit auction that sold for $1,000, and in the late 50's one of her pies sold for $100. She taught friends and family to cook and was really skilled like a Julia Childs and Paula Dean. Even though she had cooking prowess, it never carried on her and she encouraged and taught healthy eating to those around her. Her degree gave her skills in nutrition sciences which benefitted so many people.

Myrt was a person that appreciated collecting and seeing unique things. She moved households quickly and efficiently. Packing a car was a specialty she had that could impress a magician. Seeing and doing new things did not intimidate her in any country. She was in Spain during a Basque terror bombing attack of her hotel post 9-11. She organized and evacuated all of her students to safety. In Everglades National Park Rich got carried away cutting some brush with a machete and nailed himself pretty good. Rich came home while Myrt was away and he was in rough shape needing first aid. He gave his kids instructions to not report the incident to Myrt as everything would be alright. Myrt returned home and sensed something was up. Her kids could not hold out as she quickly noted the blood trail into the house and the boxers in the wastebasket made into a tourniquet indicated otherwise. The boys always knew "Mom" had eyes in the back of her head from that moment on. Also during this time period, Myrt was out at sea with the family during some high swells offshore in the 8 to 10 foot range. She held her kids and kept them inline so Rich could pilot the boat. At some point she told the kids, "everything would be ok", but told Rich, "you better get us in pretty soon". He did just that and many more adventures at sea and abroad were had.

Spending time with younger students, relatives, and grandchildren is something Myrt really liked to do. It was a great gift that helped her be a wonderful teacher and friend to many of her students. Her nephews, nieces and grandchildren received her attention and interest. Myrt liked the internet, was not fussy about new music, and was "hip" a long time ago.
Family
Myrt is survived by her husband Rich and her two sons Tom and Tim. Tom's family of wife Kathy and children Steven Faifer and Krystal Morrell live in the Dallas and Tulsa area. The Peter and Krystal Morrell family have a daughter, Alexandra. Tim's family of wife Veronika and daughter Meteja and son Brennan live in Cody, Wyoming.
Myrt's immediate surviving Blasey family members are brothers, Joe, John, Bob and Daniel along with sisters Patty and Kathy.
Myrt has been enjoying watching all of her grandchildren grow up and niece and nephew Bryan and Sarah compete in their sports.
Service
The funeral service is to commence at 11:00 am on Friday, September 2nd. The mass will be held at St. Joseph's church in Ada, MN. The celebrants of the mass are Father James Buckley of St. Patrick's of Omaha and the parish priest, Father Joe DeCrans. Myrt's final resting place will be at the Ada Municipal Cemetery in Ada next to her parents.