Ella Blomberg LeBlond was my great grandmother.

Biography

Elinora Anna or Eleanor Anne, as it has been variously spelled, born on February 10, 1877, was nicknamed Ella. She went to public school in Cincinnati, studying German in school, where it was taught until World War I, and at home. She received her diploma from Cincinnati Normal School in 1895. Ella Blomberg was a school teacher in a one-room school house. She taught all ages all at the same time. Some of the students were taller than her and older than her. The students played pranks on the teachers, locking the doors.

When she married at the age of thirty, she stopped teaching. Her wedding to Robert Arthur LeBlond took place in June 1904.

She died on March 23, 1963, in Kennett Square, PA. She is remembered by her descendants in the following way: She was well-traveled, musical (having taught herself the violin in her 70’s), erudite with an interest in the world. She was adventuresome, daring, intrepid, and very independent. She mountain-climbed, and at age 86 was still climbing stepladders to pick cherries for her famous cherry pies. She read anything. She designed and sewed clothes, drew and painted, and was a meticulous housekeeper and excellent cook. She listened to opera while ironing. She taught herself French, Italian, Spanish, and German. She loved her wildflower garden, nature, birds, plants. She was intelligent and spurned the other old ladies her age as dull she had such a wide interest in just about everything. She certainly was not house bound. Eleven years younger than her husband, and widowed for 25 years, she would take little day trips with her friend Helen Ross. She though nothing of going to concerts and plays alone and trips, driving herself.

Death

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