Leola “Lee” Thornbloom

Leola “Lee” Thornbloom

Cedar Rapids

Leola “Lee” Thornbloom, 91, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, at The Gardens Care Center in Cedar Rapids.

The family will be present to receive friends and family from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids. Interment will immediately follow at Czech National Cemetery. A luncheon will follow interment at The Legacy Center at Murdoch-Linwood in Cedar Rapids. Memorials may be made to the charity of your choice.

Leola was born on Sept. 6, 1931, on a farm near Swisher, Iowa, the daughter of Leo and Bess Sedlacek. The family moved to Cedar Rapids where Leola graduated from Roosevelt High School. During her high school years, the family moved to a farm on Johnson Avenue in Cedar Rapids. Leola helped with the farm work and doing the chores.

After high school, Leola worked at the 16th Avenue Bank. At this time, she met Blair Thornbloom at Danceland Ballroom. She would later say that Blair was the love of her life! They were married Feb. 17, 1951, at the St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids.

Lee and Blair lived on the farm for five years and then built their new home on Johnson Avenue.

Leola worked for Cryovac as an Executive Secretary for 32 happy years.

In 1974, Leola was baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints where she remained active throughout her life. She made many friends and was very involved in many church activities.

Before and after their retirements Lee and Blair traveled extensively. They traveled throughout the United States, as well as 44 foreign countries, which included floating down the Amazon River and visiting the Great Wall in China.

Later in retirement, Leola helped entertain and danced with the residents at the many care centers throughout the area where Blair sang and played the keyboards.

Leola was the Scholarship Coordinator for the Czech Heritage Foundation for 15 years and was involved in many other groups and clubs throughout her life.

She was a caregiver to many, especially for her mother, Bess, until her death at age 108.

Lee enjoyed gardening, baking, cooking, and canning. She waited on her tomatoes to ripen each summer and counted how many she would harvest each season.

After Blair’s passing in 2013, Leola would say she lived the simple life drawing closer to the Lord and living her faith. She said, “I am very grateful for everything I do and have.”

She is survived by her nephews, Doug (Jennifer) Sedlacek, Neil (Betty) Sedlacek, both of Cedar Rapids, and Mark (Maureen) Sedlacek of Keosauqua, Iowa; and niece, Jill Sedlacek of Cedar Rapids.

Leola was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Blair in 2013; brother, Marvin; and sister-in-law, Maxine.

Please share a memory of Leola at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.