The Mass celebrating the life of Aletha (Leats) Ann Blattner Tomlyanovich, age 86 of Avon, will be 10:00 AM, Saturday, September 14, 2019 at the Church of St. Benedict in Avon. Interment will be in the parish cemetery. Aletha took her last breath at Mother of Mercy Nursing Home in Albany, MN on Friday, September 5, 2019 after a long valiant struggle with Alzheimers. There will be visitation from 8:00-10:00 AM on Saturday at the Church in Avon.
Leats was born June 21, 1933 in Sauk Rapids, MN to William Henry, Sr. and Margaret Almgren Blattner. The oldest of 10, she graduated from Albany High School and St. Cloud State College with a degree in Elementary Education. Leats was united in marriage to Thomas Tomlyanovich July 6, 1956 at the Church of Seven Dolors in Albany. The couple made their home in Albany and later Avon. She taught various grades at Albany Elementary School. From 1968 until 1989 they owned and operated Tomlyano’s Pizza in St. Cloud and Avon, MN. Aletha was an active environmentalist, advocating clean water and clean lakes and instrumental in the formation of the Avon Area Lakes Association. She was a member of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Avon.
Aletha is survived by her siblings, Barbara (Russ) Gretsch, of Albany, Cathy (Normand) Falcon of St. Cloud, William (Donna) Blattner of Avon, John (Lois) Blattner of Avon and Phoenix, Arizona, Mary (Jim deceased) Thelen of Albany, Steve (Lola) Blattner of Avon, Kit (Joann) Blattner of Avon, Cindy Blattner (Tom Prill) of Avon, Margie (Jim) Lehner of Albany. Aletha was godmother to Margie (Blattner) Lehner, Susan (Thelen) Mrachek, Tom Blattner, Scott Blattner, John Blattner, and Theodora (Prill) Mason. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews. She was a big part of her nieces and nephews’ lives, helping out whenever they needed her.
She is preceded in death by her parents and husband, Thomas August 28, 2000.