Blanche J. Emery, 79
Blue Earth – Blanche Jeanette Emery, or as most knew her as, “Toots,” of Blue Earth, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on July 28, 2025 at the age of 79.
Toots was born on April 6, 1946 to parents Robert and Irene Ogilvie. She was one of five children with two older brothers and two younger, twin sisters. Her brother Billy is responsible for her nickname of “Toots.” He sat under the kitchen table looking at a Montgomery Ward catalog, prophesying the name of his unborn sister chanting, “I am going to have a baby sister, and I am going to call her Tootsie Lee.”
She attended school in Elmore, where she would become a majorette in the band, which she loved. She met the love of her life, David Emery, her senior year of high school. They united in marriage on June 6, 1964. They had four children: Robin, David, Amy, and Slade.
She worked at United Hospital District beginning in 1983 and faithfully served for 32 years as an Outpatient Coordinator. She first retired in 2010, but after just five months away, she returned to the work and people she loved. She officially retired in 2015. Through the years, she greeted countless patients and visitors with a warm smile and made a lasting impression on many who walked through the hospital doors.
She enjoyed shopping on QVC, visiting with friends, and always made sure her home reflected the season with cheer. She always had a special place in her heart for her grandchildren who she spent countless hours with. Some of her favorite activities to do with them included attending sporting events, going on shopping excursions, and long talks on the phone.
Toots is survived by her four children: Robin (Howard) Cordell, David Emery, Amy (Candido) Villanueva, and Slade Emery; grandchildren: Mari (Essie) Esterhuizen, Brady (Brittany) Emery, Macie (Zach) Meinders, Halie Stern, Kelsey and Joseph Cordell, Damian, Riley, Gauge and Praxton Emery, and Dahila and Dominic Villanueva; and her five great-grandchildren: Evie Hanevik, Luka and Ezra Esterhuizen, and Tenley and Dirk Meinders. She is remembered with love by her twin sisters, Wanda Ogilvie and Rhonda (Terry) Mathews; daughter-in-law, Karen Irons; and nieces, nephews, and friends who cherished her deeply.
She is preceded in death by her husband, David; her parents, Robert and Irene; and her brothers, Billy and Lloyd. We take comfort in knowing she is now reunited with her husband who she was missing deeply here on Earth.
A celebration of Blanche’s life was held on Thursday, July 31 from 4-7 p.m. at Patton Funeral Home. Her presence was a gift, and her memory will forever live in our hearts.