Edith Bliese went to be with Jesus on May 20th, 2026, dying peacefully at home in Harrisburg, OR with her husband, after spending her last hours with beloved family. She was a special woman, with deep commitment and love for God and those God placed in her path.
She was born on October 14, 1937, in Austin, Texas, to Dr. Carl Albers and Johnnita, born Niederauer. She was the third of four children, including her surviving sister Lois and brother Ken. She attended Texas Lutheran College, the University of Texas at Austin, and Wartburg College. She married Loren Bliese on September 1, 1957. They were married for over 68 years.
She went to Ethiopia as a missionary in 1960 with her husband and daughter, Laurie, and continued there for 44 years full-time plus several years as a part-time volunteer. Besides raising her children, Edith organized famine relief in the 1973-75 and 1985-86 famines, feeding people in her backyard as well as in distant villages in north-central Ethiopia. She also started private schools, especially during the communist period when the Blieses lived in Addis Ababa. Many students loved her because of her personal attention to them. She was always quick to respond to people in need, taking people to the hospital, dressing wounds, and even walking to villages to be with women in labor. She was deeply committed to Jesus as seen in her Bible reading and prayer life, and she saw her life as an opportunity to respond to God’s calling.
She is survived by her husband, Loren, and her children: Laurie Meyers (Dan), Paul (Marta), Lynnae Ripley (Duff), and Samuel. They had nine grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.
All obituary information has been taken from the funeral home, newspaper or other online resource.
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