Lee Blasdell | 1937 - 2025
Obituaries-Pierre / Posted Apr 14, 2025 | 3:41 PM / 770 views
HIGHMORE, SD – Alfred Lee Blasdell, 87, passed away peacefully at home on April 5, 2025, surrounded by family.
Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at the Church of Christ in Highmore. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at the Highmore Cemetery.
Lee was born on July 3, 1937, in Eagle Township to George and Emma (Brodkorb) Blasdell. He was their only child and the light of their lives. He attended school through the 8th grade and then worked alongside his father on the family farm.
Growing up in Highmore, South Dakota, Lee developed a strong work ethic and a deep love for the outdoors—both of which would define his life. He wore many hats over the years: lineman for Rural Electric (where he lost his arm), harvest crewman across the plains, barn cleaner, farmer, owner of the Onida Cement Plant, homebuilder on the Cheyenne River Reservation, and grain bin installer throughout central South Dakota. Whatever the job, Lee believed in doing it right and seeing it through.
Lee married Maxine Erp, and together they raised three children in Onida, SD: Charlie, Bobbi Jo, and Debra. On October 19, 1992, he married Karen Ann Sowards. Together, they built a life south of Highmore, raising sheep and cattle and finding joy in the hard work and peace of ranch life. Karen passed away in 2008.
On August 22, 2011, Lee married Sharon Space, who remained lovingly by his side.
Lee’s passions were as steady and enduring as he was: lambing and calving, fishing, hunting, camping, and spending time with his friends and family. He could fix just about anything, swap a story with anyone, and was always up for a velvet toddy.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon Blasdell; his children; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and all who were lucky enough to know him.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Karen; and his daughter-in-law, Connie Blasdell.
Lee’s memory will live on in the hands he taught, the land he worked, and the hearts of those who loved him.
Luze Funeral Home of Highmore has been entrusted with Lee’s arrangements. Visit www.familyfuneralhome.net
