Delores Blanc

A good mom and an extraordinary bridge player, DeLores (Dee) Blanc, 89. died Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, at Edgewood Vista, Mandan. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wed., Dec. 8 at the First Presbyterian Church, 214 E. Thayer, Bismarck..

DeLores Elaine Frey was the daughter of Emelia (Springer) and Gottlieb Frey. Born on May 24, 1932, she was delivered by a midwife, her aunt, Margaret Frey of Lincoln Valley, ND, at her parents’ home in Harvey.
           
Her father died when she was two years old, and mother when DeLores was 13. Dee then moved in across town with her married, older sister, Helen, and helped raise twin nieces.

Dee attended public schools in Harvey, where she was active in school programs, the editor of the high school newspaper and worked at several retail jobs.

She graduated from Harvey High School in 1950. That same year she married Gerard (Jerry) G. Blanc and they moved to Bismarck where he worked for Super Valu as a meat cutter and began a long career in the North Dakota National Guard. They raised two children, while she was involved First Presbyterian Church activities and programs for young people.

Dee was a neat and orderly person and did not abide dust and dirt easily.

After Jerry retired, the couple moved to Mesa, Ariz., their home for the next 35 years. They loved traveling, golf and entertaining. She collected Kachina dolls and thimbles. Jerry died on July 1, 2016. Dee returned to Bismarck to live in June 2020. She had an apartment at Edgewood Vista, Mandan.

She is survived by her son, Scott (Kathleen), Bemidji, MN, daughter, Debi (Ken), Mandan, grandson, Chabin (Katie), Bemidji, and numerous nieces and nephews.