Funeral services for Lula Blade, of Tucson, AZ, formerly of Hettinger, ND will be Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. at the Hettinger Lutheran Church in Hettinger. Rev. Kathleen Dettmann will officiate and burial will follow at the Hettinger Cemetery. Visitations will be from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12th and from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Hettinger.

LULA LORRAINE FORD was born in Lemmon, SD on November 7, 1930 to Peter and Olive (Franks) Ford. She grew up on the family farm and ranch and attended school through the eighth grade. She met Marion Vernon Blade and they were united in marriage on December 13, 1947 in Miles City, MT. They began their life together on the farm and ranch. Lula and Marion raised a family of 11 children and worked together in all aspects of the farming and ranching operation.


Lula enjoyed playing cards, going fishing for catfish, traveling and riding horses as a young girl. She raised a big garden every year and was a hard working wife and mother. She and Marion took a trip to Tucson, AZ in 2003, which turned into "retirement". Marion passed away in 2006 and Lula continued to live in Arizona until her passing on Sunday morning, June 7, 2009 at the Northwest Hospital in Tucson, AZ. She will be greatly missed by her family.

Lula was grateful for having shared her life with her husband Marion of 59 years as well as her children, Victor, of Bath, SD; Leonard and wife Debbie, of Tucson, AZ; Neil and wife Ab, of Missoula, MT; Dave and wife Janell, of Hudsonville, MI; Terry and wife Debbie, of Plano, TX; Linda and husband Dick Cross, of Clancy, MT; Randy of Gillette, WY; and Cindy of Bismarck, ND; 22 grandchildren and 20 great grand children. Preceding Lula in death were her parents, her husband Marion, a daughter Scherry and two sons, Val and Willie.