Robert A. McBlain

Reverend Robert Alexander McBlain, 99, died July 7, 2009, in Des Moines. A Memorial Service will be held at 11 AM on July 11, 2009, at Union Park United Methodist Church, 2305 E. 12th Street, Des Moines.
Robert Alexander McBlain was born in Sonora, Iowa, the third of three children born to Alexander W. and Maggie Alice Rhine McBlain. He graduated from Wilton Junction High School in 1927. He received his B.A from Illinois Wesleyan College in 1931, a B.Ed. from Illinois State Normal School in 1932, and an M.A. from the State University of Iowa in 1936.
Robert taught in the public schools of Atalissa, Audubon, Chariton and Carroll for thirteen years. He married Stella Dora Larsen of Audubon in 1938. His father was a Methodist minister and his mother was the first woman to be ordained as a local elder in the South Iowa Conference of the Methodist Church. Robert accepted a call to the Methodist ministry in 1945. He served the following churches: Minburn, Sidney-Thurman, Greenfield, Adel, Atlantic, Atlantic Parish (Atlantic, Marne, and Buck Creek), Des Moines Immanuel, and Hartley. He took his seminary work at Drake Bible College while he served the church at Minburn.
After retirement in 1975, he served churches in New Virginia and Medora to finish a year and at Marquisville for eight years. Robert and Stella spent their post-retirement winters in Des Moines and their summers at Bay View, Michigan, where Robert served actively in various organizations including their Campus Club.
Robert and Stella moved to the Bolton Apartments at Wesley Acres in 1994 and became year round Des Moines residents three years later. Stella died in 2006. Robert remained at Wesley Acres until his death on July 7, 2009.
After his retirement, Robert was a member of Union Park United Methodist Church, where he was active in the Sunday School and the Wesleyan group.
Robert was predeceased by his wife Stella, his sister Elizabeth and his brother Wallace. He is survived by one daughter, Rachel Sacco; three sons David (Ginny), Philip (Sharon), and John (Barbara) McBlain; six grandchildren, Evan (Becky), Lauren and Scott McBlain, Kristina (John) Beckley, and Ryan (Clarissa) and Kathryn Sacco; and five great-grandchildren, Kelsie, Megan and Andrew McBlain, Claire Beckley, and Julia Sacco.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Union Park United Methodist Church or to the Good Samaritan Fund at Wesley Acres.
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