Marie 'Mimi' Blackburn, gifted quilter
Marie “Mimi” Verburg Blackburn, 89, of Rehoboth Beach, formerly of Wilmington, passed peacefully Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015.
Mimi was born in Hynes, Calif., to the late Lambertus and Cornelia Verburg. She grew up in Stafford, Va. with her nine sisters and brothers. A talented athlete with a healthy dose of determination, as a sophomore at Falmouth High School, she and her teammates won the Virginia State Basketball Championship. It was on the basketball court at half-time that she met Robert (Bobby) Blackburn, her late husband of 58 years. With a new daughter Beth and a son Kirk, her life took on new meaning. She was very happy and content to be a mother. Later she worked as a department manager at John Wanamaker’s Department Store for several years.
In her retirement, she learned to quilt and was a past president of the Ladybug Chapter of the National Quilting Association. It gave her great joy to “pass the comfort” as she gifted her beautiful award-winning quilts to her children and grandchildren. Supporters of St. Mark’s Church in Wilmington also benefited from her talents as she worked year-round with her girlfriends to prepare fabric creations for their annual Christmas bazaars. A strong Southern lady with undying devotion to her family and to her Dutch heritage, she loved to cook wonderful food - each Christmas mailing to her family across the country her delicious Dutch Almond Rolls.
Mimi is survived by her son Robert Kirk Blackburn Jr. and her daughter-in-law Donna Blackburn of Lewes, and their two sons, Matt of Philadelphia, Pa. and Tim of Lewes; her daughter Marie “Beth” Blackburn Fedick of Royersford, Pa., and her two children, Greg Fedick of Doylestown, Pa. and Stephanie Gongon; a grandson-in-law Manuel Gongon Jr. and their two children, Ben and Maxine of Erdenheim, Pa. She is also survived by four sisters, Corie Barlow of San Antonio, Texas, Marjorie “Met” Moran of Springfield,Va., Elsie Janney of Fredericksburg Va. and Helen Holdren of Charlottesville Va.; and a brother, John Verburg and his wife Harriet of Tidwells, Va. She was predeceased by her parents, her husband, her son-in-law John “Jack” Fedick of Royersford, her brothers, Burt Verburg and Hank Verburg, and her sisters, Jennie Hoffman and Agnes Patton.
A memorial service will be held at noon, Saturday, Aug. 15, at Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg. Burial will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 1700 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE 19804.
Arrangements by Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg.
Online guestbook is available at covenantfuneralservice.com.
