Doralee 'Doll Riel Blodgett

On Sunday, June 21, 2015, Doralee "Doll" Riel Blodgett entered into eternal sleep at her home in East Missoula and has joined God in heaven.

She was a loving mother, grandmother and friend to anyone she met and will truly be missed.

Doll was born in Missoula on June 9, 1928, to Elmer and Emily Riel.

She attended grade school in Missoula at Whittier School and St. Francis Catholic School. Doll tried to join the Army with her younger sisters, but was told that she was too short at 4 feet 11 inches. She married Lester Blodgett and moved to Kalispell, where they completed their family with 11 children. She worked at Head Start in Kalispell and numerous other places. Doll moved back to Missoula in 1979 and went to work at St. Patrick Hospital, where she was named the "Grandma of Pediatrics" and worked there until she retired in 1992.

Doll was a mother to everyone, and anyone who met her loved her. She raised her younger sisters after her parents' death and then went on to raise her 11 kids, some of her grandkids and many kids who were no relation. She had many passions and loved to cook and bake. Her secret to her baking: She swore that everything is made from 90 percent love and 10 percent ingredients. Everything that she made came from scratch, the old-fashioned way. She had many famous quotes such as, "If you don't put the love in your cookies, than your cookies won't turn out"; "Open the door, so the neighborhood can smell what we're cooking"; or "Better cook plenty, because you never know who will show up for dinner."

Doll's words of wisdom have inspired many people throughout her life. She loved to write poetry and songs to sing to her kids and grandkids. With blue eyes that twinkled and a heart of gold, Doll was always there to listen and offer advice to anyone that came along.

Doll was proceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Emily Riel; brothers, Elmer Riel, William Riel, Robert Riel, Gilbert Riel, James Turner and Gene Riel; her sisters, Emily Riel, Yvonne Riel, Evelyn Riel Baxter, Dorothy Riel and Marian Riel; and her two sons, Edward Blodgett and Stephen Blodgett.

Doll is survived by her children, daughters Verna Turner, Renee Vetrovec, Joan Elsenpeter and Susan Freim and sons Ronald Blodgett, Carl Blodgett, Joseph Blodgett, Thomas Blodgett and Robert Blodgett; her grandchildren, Bobbie Blodgett, Brian Blodgett, Tony Blodgett, Jim Blodgett, Bill Blodgett, Jerry Burch, Desiree Burch, Chris Burch, Emily Blodgett, Ashley Blodgett, Jessica Blodgett, Jason Dalton and handfuls more of grandchildren and dozens of great-grandchildren.

The world has lost an amazing person, and heaven has gained a beautiful angel.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 27, at Greenough Park in Missoula.

Any memorial contributions can be made to Garden City Funeral Home.
Read Doralee 'Doll" Blodgett's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.