Emily Pauline Bellendorf

Emily Pauline Bellendorf, age 80, of Colby and formerly of Medford, went to her Heavenly home to join Jim, her loving husband of 60 years, on Friday November 1, 2024 at VitaCare Living in Abbotsford under the tender care of Heartland Hospice.
Emily was born and raised alongside her three sisters on the family farmstead near Unity, attending and graduating from Colby High School in 1962, where she met and fell in love with her future husband. Soon afterward, they married and began a new life together in central Florida where she worked several jobs including business bookkeeping and bank clerk, before the arrival of Cathy and Bill. In the mid 1970s the family returned to the Colby area where Brian and Shawn were born. In 1991, the couple retired from farming and moved to rural Medford where Emily established a successful home daycare business, caring for many local children until 2008 when she was no longer able due to health issues. She later continued in the workforce for several years at Black River Industries. Throughout her lifetime she was a meaningful contributor to society, known for her boundless energy and strong work ethic, applying this to everything she set her mind to. Whether it be in the barn, the farm fields, or the kitchen cooking for a family of 6, she was the epitome of a strong, resilient, and ambitious woman.
Emily was extremely thoughtful and considerate of others, taking special joy in sending many cards and letters over the years and remembering and celebrating the birthdays of everyone she loved. Her many hobbies included creative arts like crafting and decorating, cooking and baking, quilting and sewing, and photography. She also enjoyed many camping trips with her family, and travel to places like Hawaii, California, Nashville, Branson, and Las Vegas where she was always lucky at the slots. A true Packer fan through and through, she never missed a game whether it was watching on tv or from the stands at Lambeau. She was especially passionate about country music, enjoying many years of country line dancing with friends and attending many Country Fests. Along with her husband, music was her constant and lifelong companion, and the radio her best friend.
We find comfort in knowing that Emily's legacy lives on through the love she shared with us all, her unwavering generosity and service towards others, her authentic and relatable sense of humor, and her undying commitment to her husband and family. Her hugs were strong and warm, her beaming smile like a ray of sunshine, her laughter contagious. She was tough as nails when she needed to be and at the same time embodied adaptability, grace, and selflessness. Her kind nature and tenacious spirit live on in each of us as we remember her now and forever.
Emily will be missed dearly by her children: Cathy (Jeff) Litscher of Merrill, Bill (Nancy) Bellendorf of Medford, Brian Bellendorf of St Paul, MN, Shawn (Michelle) Bellendorf of Colby; grandchildren: Kaylin (Jessica) Felix, Adrian Felix, Olivia Felix, Gabe Felix, Terry Bellendorf, Ashley Bellendorf, Kendra (Robin) Weiss, and Riley Bellendorf, and several great-grandchildren; sisters: Elaine (Bob) Ruprich and Gloria (Ben) Klabunde and other family. She is preceded in death by her parents, a sister Rochelle, and her husband Jim.
A Memorial Service will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 8, 2024 at Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Abbotsford. Rev. Teri Hanson will officiate. A Celebration of her Life and a luncheon will follow immediately after at the funeral home.