Roberta B (Bloom) Lindstrand

Roberta Bloom Lindstrand was born October 30, 1927, on a farm near Catlin, IL. The daughter of Peter Earl and Ena Phipps Bloom. 

She attended Catlin Grade School and her Freshman year at Catlin High School.  She graduated from University High School, class of 1945. Then she graduated from University of Illinois, class of 1949 in LAS. She continued her education and received a B.S. degree from College of Education in 1951.  She began her teaching career as a kindergarten teacher at Douglas Center in Champaign.  She joined Champaign Unit 4 in fall of 1951 as a 1st grade teacher at the Percival School (on campus of U of I) with 19 children from Stadium Terrace. She then taught at Columbia and Garden Hills Elementary Schools. She received her master’s in education in 1957. She worked each summer for Champaign Park District as park counselor at Scott and Clark parks.

She married Gordon Lindstrand in June 1956.  From that union she had 2 sons, Brian Eric and Evan Russell. This marriage took her to Columbia, SC where Dr. Lindstrand was on the English faculty at USC. She taught one year in 1st grade there at Denny Terrace Elementary School.

After her divorce she returned to C-U and again began working for Unit 4. She set up a reading lab at Garden Hills and later became a 3rd grade teacher there until her retirement in 1993. After retirement she became active in General Federation of Women’s Clubs, especially Woman’s Club of Champaign-Urbana. She was president of the group, secretary of Dist. 19 and International Outreach chairman of Dist. 19 for 4 years.  She was especially proud of the club’s work with Operation Smile. She attended many state conventions, 2 international conventions one in Denver, one in Chicago, and made many friends across the state of Illinois.

She also became the Wedding Coordinator at Wesley Church & Foundation on the campus of U of I. She was an Illini Football fan, a member of the U of I Alumni Assoc., member of the President’s Council, a life member of IEA, NEA, CCRTA, RSVP, Delta Kappa Gamma, CWU and Wesley UMW. She also sang with Sweet Adelines.

She was proud of her volunteer hours. She volunteered at children’s programs at Krannert, empty tomb, inc., Wesley Evening Food Pantry, and Cunningham Children’s Home where she was a Guardian Parent for many years.

She loved to play bridge and belonged to 3 different groups here in C-U. She also had many friends in in a regular fitness class.

Her winters were spent in Okeechobee, FL. While there she attended the United Methodist Church, worked in the library, quilted with Oka Tanti quilters, played bridge, and attended Silver Sneakers classes.  Many Illinoisians visited her there.

She was preceded in death by her parents and all her siblings, C. Ruth Burnham, Earl P. Bloom, Ralph U. Bloom, E. Maxine Bloom, all of whom were U of I graduates.

She leaves behind sons Brian Eric Lindstrand (Joanne Miller) of Champaign, IL, Evan Russell Lindstrand (Lisa), two granddaughters, Monet Roese and Caitlin Roese Lindstrand of Crystal Lake, IL. Two nieces, Roberta L Steward of Fairfield, OH, Catherine A Burnham of Provo, UT (also U of I graduates). One great nephew, Russell Steward (Maria) and sons, Ace and Jordan of Westwood, NJ, one great niece, Kyra M Raimey (Harry) and three children, Isaiah, Gabrielle, and Noah of West Chester, OH., sister-in-law, June Lindstrand of Buchanan, MI, nephew, John Lindstrand of Knox, IN., and Laura Lindstrand of Elma, WA.

Funeral Services will be at 10:00 a.m. Thursday April 6 at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1203 W. Green St., Urbana, IL.  Rev. Vaughn Hoffman will officiate.  Burial will be at Woodlawn Cemetery, Urbana.  Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. April 5 at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her memory to the UMW at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1203 W Green St, Urbana, IL  61801, to be used to continue their mission work, locally, nationally, and internationally or Cunningham Children’s Home, 1301 N. Cunningham Ave., Urbana, IL 61802.

Condolences may be offered at www.renner-wikoffchapel.com

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