Memorial to Harriet E. V. Blilie

Mother's Day, 2019:

My dear, beautiful, loving Mom passed away suddenly on 8-May-2020. She appears to have passed painlessly.

She was able to live independently, to the very end, which was her wish.

I find consolation in knowing that we were always close and that I was able to help her remain comfortably independent for the last decade since my father passed away in 2010. We lived only 1 mile apart in Shoreview, and this was a great blessing. It was easy to see her at any time, even in the middle of walks in our neighborhood. It was a blessing that Jamie and Joe got to know her so well and develop close relationships with her. I know this was a joy for her as well.

Her joy was in her family and we did our best to make sure she had plenty of family time.

I also am glad I had the chance to help her travel to Europe many times, which was also a great joy for her.

France and Belgium, 1997

France and Italy, 1999

And of course many trips to our home in White Salmon, Washington (her "favorite place", second only to Provence)

The pictures below help tell the story of her life.

White Salmon, 2019: Below: Circa 1946, Jackson, MS (she is on the right, about age 11):

Mom's obituary text:

Harriet Elizabeth Ventress Blilie, 84, Shoreview, Minnesota

Harriet passed away suddenly on May 8, 2020, at age 84. Harriet was born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1935 to Charles Galloway Ventress and Mary (Norwood) Ventress, both of whom were college graduates. She grew up in Jackson with her older sister Ann (b. 1929) and brother William (b. 1932), graduating from Jackson Central High School. She attended Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans and graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson, MS, in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. Shortly after graduation, she married her husband James in Jackson.

Harriet met James in Northwest Florida, at her sister's home, behind which was James's home. She asked her sister who lived in that house and was told it was some Air Force boys. This piqued her interest. That was how a man from Minnesota met and married a beautiful Southern Belle from Mississippi.

Harriet made her family her life as a homemaker and mother. Harriet and James first lived in Valparaiso Florida where James was stationed as an Air Force officer. They then lived in southern California, where sons Charles (1959), James (1961), and daughter Julie (1962) were born. They then lived in Norfolk, VA, and Chelmsford, MA, where son Jon was born (1965). Eventually the family settled in Minnesota.

Harriet was dedicated to her family: Always the steady foundation for their adventures. There was always comfort, safety, good food, fun, and love in her home. Harriet enjoyed traveling with her family: Vacations to visit family in Mississippi, Florida, and elsewhere, and road trips to, among other places, Florida, Newfoundland, Glacier National Park, and the American Southwest.

Harriet was very active in the Daughters of the American Revolution (Nathan Hale Chapter), like her mother before her. She was also very active in her church. She enjoyed drawing and painting throughout her life, also like her mother. Harriet enjoyed reading and especially travel. Among her favorite travel destinations were: The United Kingdom, France (especially Provence), Norway, Sweden, and the American West, especially Washington State.

Harriet is survived by sons Charles Blilie (Shelley, Kirsten), Arden Hills, MN, James Blilie (Phyllis, Joe, Jamie) Shoreview, MN, and Jon Blilie (Bobbi, Kai), Albuquerque, NM, and grandchildren Kirsten Blilie (Tyler, TX), Kai Blilie (Albuquerque, NM), Joe Pudlik (Shoreview, MN), and Jamie Blilie (Shoreview, MN).

Harriet was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, James Louis Blilie (1923-2010), her daughter Julie Blilie (1962-1997), sister Ann (Ventress) Spence (Niceville, FL, 1929-2012), and brother William Ventress (Vinita, OK, 1932-2012).

Mom will eventually rest at: Morningside Memorial Gardens, Coon Rapids, MN

And: Scattered in White Salmon Washington, at a spot with a view of Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood

1989, Isanti MN, with my Dad

Summer 1960, California

2010, Provence:

1958, Mississippi

June 1958, Jackson, Mississippi

June 1960, Lake Tahoe

Below are many photos of my Mom, when she was growing up.

For much more of her and her family, click here.


1936 or 1937, Jackson, MS	Circa 1940, Jackson, MS	Circa 1940, Jackson, MS	Circa 1946, Jackson, MS

1958, Natchez Trace, MS	1958, Jackson, MS	Millsaps College graduate, 1958	The happy couple, Jackson June 1958

Engagement and wedding portraits, 1958	Before the wedding: L to R: Lorraine (Blilie) Polanek, Josie Gundersen, Julie (Gundersen) Blilie, Harriet Ventress	The wedding with sister Ann Her sister Ann and Dad's friend Mark Garner stood up with them	The wedding (We only have color print snap shots)

The wedding	The wedding	The wedding	The wedding

The wedding (the getaway)	They drove that red Buick from Jackson Mississippi to Mexico City for their honeymoon. (My Dad was pretty adventurous!)	Mexico City, July 1958	Early 1959, pregnant with Charlie. Uncle Bert's farm, Glenwood City, WI: L to R: Vallea, Bert, Josie, Olga, Mom, Julie (my Dad's mother)

Early 1959, pregnant with Charlie. Uncle Bert's farm, Glenwood City, WI	Summer 1959, with Charlie, southern California	Summer 1959, with Charlie	With her mother, Mary (Norwood) Ventress and Charlie, 1959

With Charlie, Mission San Fernando, CA, 1959

1960, California	1960, with Charlie	June 1960 with Charlie at Lake Tahoe	1961, with me

1961 with Charlie and me	April 1962 with Charlie and me	1962 with Charlie and with Julie	Summer 1962 at Bert's farm: Mom, Julie, Josie, me, Charlie, Olga, Bert

Summer 1963 with Vallea and Bert	1963 with Julie	Nov. 1963 Kittyhawk, NC	1964, on Old Ironsides, Boston Harbor. Julie, Mom, Julie, Josie, me, Charlie

Summer 1965, with Julie, Moosehead Lake, Maine	Late 1965, with Jon in arms	1966 with Jon	1966 with Jon

1966 with Jon	Spring 1967	June 1968: Ready for our adventure to drive/ferry to Newfoundland	June 1968, Nova Scotia

June 1968, Terranova National Park, Newfoundland For much more on this trip, click here	Feb. 1968 with Jon	Fall 1969, probably at Mitchell Lake, MN

July 1974 Hidden Lake Overlook, Glacier National Park	May 1970, Mitchell Lake MN	1970 with Julie	1970, Mitchell Lake MN, with Charlie

Summer 1971, with Jon and his broken arm	June 1972	1973	Sept. 1973, Mitchell Lake

Dec 1973, with Jon and Julie at Midway Hospital in St. Paul with her broken hip. She was only 38.	1975, not quite 40 years old	Summer 1976, Jackson, MS, with her father, Charles Galloway Ventress, 78 at the time	1978

1981	Dec 1981, Charlie and Shelley's wedding	July 1982, after her hip replacement surgery	Sept. 1982, Mitchell Lake

Jul 1983, in the Black Hills	Dec 1983	Apr 1984, with her sister Ann, Niceville, FL	March 1986 with Charlie and Shelley in Santa Barbara CA

March 1988, northwest FL	April 1988 with Shelley, Charlie, Jon, and Julie	June 1988 with Julie	Sept 1988 at Jon and Bobbi's wedding

Oct 1988, formal church portrait	June 1989, with first grandchild, Kirsten	July 1989 with our cousin Martin Kelly and Jon	July 1989, with Ira and Ardie Harrington and Vallea

Oct 1989, with Julie and Kirsten	Dec 1989 with my Dad (and "William of Orange")	1980, with me at Como Conservatory	1981

1982	Oct 1982, Mitchell Lake	1983	1983, Easter

Christmas 1984	Christmas 1984, Shelley, Phyllis, Julie, and Mom	Christmas 1984, Trivial Pursuit	March 1984

July 1985, Washington state, with Julie	Fall 1986, Charlie's property in Koochiching County, MN	Sept 1986 hike up Eagle Mountain, MN (highest point in MN)	1988

1988 Isanti Gothic	Christmas 1989 with me	Nov. 1989, with Kirsten

1991	1991 Grand Marais, MN	1991 with Susan Robertson (Lorraine and Alex Polanek's daughter)	Christmas 1991

1991	1991 with Kirsten	1991	Jan. 1992 with her best childhood friend, Ann Derryberry, Jackson, MS

Jan. 1992 Blue Ridge Parkway	Jan. 1992, Jackson MS	Jan. 1992, New Orleans	Jan. 1992, with Walt and Ann Spence

Jan. 1992, with Lorraine and Alex Polanek, Florence, SC	Jan. 1992, Washington, DC	Jan. 1992, Dayton, OH	1992 with Kirsten

Family group, 1992	Aug. 1992, with brother William and sister Ann	Family group 1992	With Kirsten and Shelley, 1992

1993 with Jon and Bobbi	April 1993, with Scout	May 1993 with my Dad and sister Julie	1993 with Scout

1993, Calvary Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN	1994 with Ann and Walt Spence	1994 with Scout	1994 Isanti Gothic

Dec. 1994, Seattle	1995 formal church portrait	1997 with Julie	1997

May 1997, France	May 1997, France	May 1997, France	May 1997, France

Christmas 1997	Oct 1997	Mt. Constitution, Orcas Island, WA, Jul 1998	Top of Tolmie Peak, Mount Rainier NP, July 1998

1998	May 1999, Tuileries, Paris	May 1999, France	May 1999, France

May 1999, France	May 1999, France	May 1999, Italy

2001, Minnesota	Aug., 2001, Mount Rainier NP	On our place in White Salmon, WA, Aug. 2001	June 2001, on my Dad's friend Jim Wetzel's boat, NW Florida

2002, with Jon and a very young Kai	Oct. 2003 with Kai	At Phyllis's and my wedding, 2002	At Phyllis's and my wedding, 2002

With Jamie, 2004	2005	Family portraits, 2006	2006

2007 Christmas time	Oct. 2008	2009 trip to White Salmon with Phyllis's Mom, Kay	2009 trip to White Salmon with Phyllis's Mom, Kay

Aug. 2009, Jamie's graduation from preschool	2009	2009	June 2010 Joe's graduation from Mounds View High School

Family group, Apr, 2010	June 2010, cousins Ingrid and John Arne Narum, visiting from Norway	2010, trip to France	2010, trip to France

2010, trip to France	2010, trip to France (wine was consumed ...)	2010, trip to France	2010, trip to France

2010, trip to France	2010, trip to France	2010, trip to France	2010, trip to France

2010, trip to France	White Salmon in 2010	White Salmon in 2010	White Salmon in 2010

2010, Fall, in her new place in Shoreview	Her birthday in 2010	Christmas Eve, 2010	Jan 2011

April 2011, Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN	May, 2001, with Susan (Polanek) Robertson and Marge Polanek	White Salmon, 2011	White Salmon 2011 (including a road trip to Oregon and California)

Crater Lake, 2011	Oregon Coast, 2011	North Shore (Lake Superior) hiking, Summer 2011	2011

2011, her (first!) limo ride to La Belle Vie, Minneapolis	2012	May 2012, Twins Game	2012 trip to Scandivania: Copenhagen

2012 trip to Scandivania: Varberg, Sweden with the Bendiksens	2012 trip to Scandivania : Bliligaard, Norway, with the Narum family	2012 trip to Scandivania: Bliligaard, with John Arne and Ingrid Narum	2012 trip to Scandivania: The Norwegian mountains and fjordlands

2012 trip to Scandivania: The Norwegian mountains and fjordlands	2012	2013	2014

2014	2014, Boules	2015	2016

2106, Mother's Day, Easter	2016, her 81st birthday party at Jax in Minneapolis	Spring 2017, family photo	2018, New Orleans

2018, New Orleans	2018, New Orleans	Christmas 2018	2019, Key West

2019, Key West	2019, Key West	White Salmon 2019	White Salmon 2019

White Salmon 2019