Iva Dane Blood

Iva Dane Blood went peacefully to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on May 12, 2025 at the age of 88, in Oberlin, Ohio.  She was born on January 15, 1937, in South Haven, Michigan to Kennard and Thelma Schaibly.  Iva Dane is survived by her five children, Wesley Blood (Marjorie), Sherley Blood Thom (David), Janel Blood, Daryl Blood (Alina), and his twin Marla Brewer (Jeremy), as well as her grandchildren, Andrew Blood (Shelby), Samuel Blood (Brigitta) Lew Blood, Sacha Brewer, and Nijyl Brewer, and one great-granddaughter, Felicity Blood.  She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 62 years, David Wilfred Blood.

The Schaibly family lived in a number of towns in Michigan's lower peninsula, Alma, Hopkins, Shepherd, Woodland and Edmore, and Iva Dane graduated from the Edmore High School in May of 1955, as the valedictorian of her class.  She then attended Central Michigan University and earned a B.S. degree in teaching Home Economics.  Iva Dane taught middle school and high school students for a year and a half in two Michigan schools in Owosso and Lakeview.  She and Dave met in early high school, and married after they graduated from college in June of 1960.  They moved to Massachusetts, where David worked as an electrical engineer.

Faith and family were central to Iva Dane, and Lincoln, Massachusetts became the home where she and David raised their children.  She was deeply involved in the lives and the education of her children.  She regularly volunteered to serve in the school system, and she became the chair of the METCO Host Family Program in the Lincoln Public School System, matching Lincoln families and inner-city Boston families for friendship and mutual encouragement.   She was active in the community and served in the Lincoln Community Food Coop.  She volunteered with the Emmanuel Gospel Center in Boston, providing administrative help to an immigration lawyer there.  She also served for a time, as the church secretary at the Trinitarian Congregational Church (TCC) in Wayland, which was their church home for about 24 years.

In 1994, she and Dave moved to State College, Pennsylvania, where Dave joined a research group related to Penn State University.  They remained there until 2009, when they moved to Oberlin, Ohio to be nearer to the midwest and two of their children.

Iva Dane was devoted to her family and church, creatively managing a home and raising children.  She loved to sew, garden, cook and bake, and carefully planned every meal for her family.  She loved to read, and passed on that love of reading to her children.  She loved all of God's creation, especially flowers and birds, and passed on this love to her children through flower arranging, nature walks and everyday observation.  She loved music, which was also a large part of her life.  After the twins were born, she and Dave took up square dancing.  Both she and David loved international students.  They began inviting students into their home in 1965, and our family life was constantly enriched by a steady stream of friends from all over the world, sharing their lives and cultures with us.

Iva Dane's faith in Jesus Christ was central to her life, and she and Dave were active church members in every community where they lived.  TCC, mentioned above, was the church where all of their children professed faith in Jesus and were baptized.   She and Dave worked to raise a family having faith in God, seeking guidance from Him, and teaching forgiveness as a way of life.  Their final church home was the East Oberlin Community Church.

Iva Dane will be lovingly missed as a wife and mother, as a grandmother and great-grandmother, who poured her life into those around her.  She was warm and welcoming to everyone, patient, rarely complaining, kind and considerate.  She was thankful for God's many blessings in her life.  She shared her faith in word, action and prayer, even praying for her nurses just days before she went home to be with Jesus!

A memorial service, remembering and celebrating Iva Dane will be held at 11am, on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the East Oberlin Community Church, 43709 Oberlin Elyria Rd, Oberlin, OH 44074.  Visitation will be 10am before the service at the church, and there will be a meal after the service.  Memorial contributions can be made out to the East Oberlin Community Church.