Blondie McCurdy
Lela May “Blondie” McCurdy
Lela May “Blondie” McCurdy
July 5, 1923 – October 12, 2015
Sigourney (Oskaloosa), Iowa | Age 92
Lela May “Blondie” McCurdy, 92, of Sigourney and formerly of Oskaloosa, passed away Monday, October 12, 2015, at the Manor Care Nursing Home in Sigourney, Iowa. Lela May McCurdy was born, July 5, 1923, near Sigourney, Iowa to Lawrence Neal and Hattie May (Moneyhon) Brainard.
Blondie was a 1942 graduate of Delta High School. She then attended Ottumwa Beauty Academy, from which she graduated in 1945. On December 30, 1945, she was united in marriage to Clifford O. McCurdy at Ottumwa, Iowa.
Blondie operated the Lovely Ladies Beauty Shop on North First Street for 50 years. She also helped her husband for 17 years in the restaurant business, first with Cliff’s Café on North A Street and then The Canteen in the alley south of A Avenue and west of Market Street. In 1973, Blondie graduated from Weaver’s College of Real Estate. She went on to work as a realtor for 25 years. Never wanting to miss an opportunity, Blondie earned her auctioneer’s license in 1979.
Blondie was a member of the Central United Methodist Church; she was active in the Pythian Sister’s Temple #2 for more than 25 years.
Her family includes her half-brothers and a sister-in-law: Richard (& Carolyn) Wiseman of Webster and Alvin Wiseman of Millersburg.
In addition to her parents, Blondie was preceded in death by her husband Cliff on January 9, 1978; her step-father, Raymond Wiseman; a brother, Keith Lawrence Brainard; and a sister-in-law, Betty Lou Wiseman.
Graveside funeral services for Blondie will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, October 14, at White Oak Cemetery in rural Mahaska County, with Pastor Alvern Boetsma officiating.
Visitation will begin at noon at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel. A procession will form at 1:40 p.m. to leave for the cemetery.
Memorial contributions should be made to the D.A.R.E. program.
