Erma Blosser

Erma Blosser, 106, of Oklahoma City, OK and Little Rock, AR, died peacefully February 20, 2024. She was born May 12, 1917 to Arthur Johnson, first generation Norwegian immigrant, and Augusta (Klebe) Johnson, an immigrant from Russia, in Bottineau, North Dakota.

Erma was raised on a farm 15 miles outside the small town of Bottineau and at the age of thirteen was sent to live with relatives in Bottineau so she could attend high school. An education was of prime importance to Erma’s mother. After high school, she went to Nursing School in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. She worked as a visiting nurse in rural North Dakota until one of her friends told her she had found a nursing job and was moving to Grant’s Pass, Oregon. She invited Erma to join her, which she did.

Erma married William Ivan Blosser in Grant’s Pass in April, 1942. Ivan served in the Navy during World War II and Erma and their son, Robert, moved throughout the country either following Ivan or living with relatives while Ivan was in the service. After the service, Ivan began working for the United States Gypsum Company and he and Erma moved throughout the country with his job, having more children along the way, Daughter Kay was born in Sweetwater, Texas, Son William and Daughter Linda were born in southern California, Daughter Carol in northwest Indiana and Son David was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The family moved to Oklahoma in 1958 where the three oldest children graduated from high school. In 1968, USG moved Ivan one last time to Chicago, IL. Throughout all this time, Erma worked as a homemaker, a wonderful mother and a great cook.

Everywhere the Blosser family lived, Erma made friends in the neighborhood and volunteered at schools, church and other worthy organizations. She often invited other homemakers over for coffee during the day and brought together neighborhoods with her welcoming and friendly nature.

Ivan and Erma retired to Bella Vista, AR in 1983 and enjoyed a wonderful time together making many new friends, traveling throughout the world and entertaining family – especially enjoying time with their grandchildren. Erma continued volunteering her time at church, at the small community library, and at a local thrift shop for low-income people. After Ivan’s death in 2001, Erma moved to Concordia, an independent living community in Bella Vista where she started an avid Skip-bo group and knit 100 stocking caps a year to donate to war refugees. In 2012 she moved to Oklahoma City to be closer to her two oldest sons. In February 2023, as her health began to fail, she moved to an assisted living facility here in Little Rock.

Erma was preceded in death by Ivan, her husband of 59 years, both her parents, her two brothers, and her daughter Kay Blosser Garcia. She is survived by three sons, Bob Blosser of Duncan, OK, Bill Blosser of Oklahoma City, OK, David (Beth Gernon) Blosser of New Orleans, LA; two daughters, Linda Blosser Petty of Lawrenceville, GA and Carol Blosser (Paul) Egan of Little Rock, AR; and one son-in-law, Steve Garcia of Albuquerque, NM. She is also survived by ten grandchildren, Elizabeth Garcia (David) Taylor, Carrie Petty, John Petty, William Petty, Katherine Egan, Margaret Egan, Robert Egan, Kaylyn Blosser (Christopher) Handy, Kelsey Blosser, and Lee Blosser, one great grandchild, Bonnie Taylor, and her great-niece Lisa (Jay) Roberts of Oklahoma City, OK.

Memorial services will be a 2:00 p.m. Saturday, March 9, 2024 at Griffin Leggett Healey & Roth Funeral Home, 5800 W 12th Street, Little Rock, AR.

In lieu of flowers, the family requested donations be made to the United Methodist Church of Moore in Moore, Oklahoma or to your favorite charity.