Valdemars "Val" Deklavs Obituary (1923

Funeral services for Valdemars Juris Deklavs, age 91 of Blair will be held at 10:00AM Friday November 7, 2014 at Country Bible Church. Interment will follow services in the Blair Cemetery. Visitation will be held Thursday November 6, beginning at 3:00PM with family receiving friends from 6:00 to 8:00PM at Campbell Aman Funeral Home in Blair. Valdemars passed away on Saturday, November 1 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in Blair. Valdemars Juris Deklavs was born August 13, 1923 in Aizpute, Latvia to Nikolajs and Ieva (Krause) Deklavs. Valdemars was 8 years of age when his father passed away. His mother Ieva then married Robert Balodis. Valdemars met his wife at a Latvian transition camp in Germany and they were married on June 23, 1947. They bore two of their children there, Aigars and Daina. After immigrating to the United States in November of 1951, they made their new home in Blair, Nebraska, where they added four more children, Inese, Baiba, Andra and Maris. Along with his stepfather he was employed at Cudahy Meatpacking for several years while they did some beekeeping also. When Cudahy closed Valdemars continued his beekeeping business that grew to 6,000 bee colonies. His entire family helped with the business along with numerous other members of the community. Val will be remembered as a very hard working man dedicated to his family. His passion for beekeeping dwindled after the passing of his beloved wife, Dzidra, in 2008. He is survived by sons and daughters-in-law, Aigars and Terrie of Blair, Maris and Joyce of Blair, daughters and sons-in-law, Daina and Kirby Wendt of Blair, Inese and Brian Klanderud of Blair, Baiba and Bill Cunard of Missouri Valley, IA, Andra Kriesemint and friend Tom Anderson of Chicago, IL, 16 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.