Carmen Bellingham

Doris Carmen Bellingham, age 87, of Preston, died October 13, 2018, at the Gundersen Harmony Care Center, Harmony, Minn.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 20, 2018, at St Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Granger, Minn., with Pastor Mary Waudby officiating. A private burial will be at Bristol Center Cemetery, Bristol, Minn. Arrangements are with Lindstrom Funeral Home Harmony.

Visitation will be held on Friday, October 19, 2018, from 4-7 pm at the Lindstrom Funeral Home in Harmony and one hour prior to the service at the church.

Memorials may be directed to the Bristol Center Cemetery, St Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Heartland Hospice, or the charity of choice.

Carmen Bellingham, the daughter of Marvin and Tressie (Alfson) Elton was born November 1, 1930, in Hutton, Minn. She was baptized and confirmed at Greenfield Lutheran Church in Harmony. Carmen was a member of her high school choir and excelled in speech, graduating in 1948 from Harmony High School.

On June 3, 1950, Carmen married William Bellingham at the Greenfield Lutheran Church in Harmony. The couple was blessed with four children: Nancy, Margaret, John and Donald. The couple lived and farmed west of Harmony their entire life. Carmen thoroughly enjoyed family and friends; she loved to organize events and special occasions that have lasting memories.

Carmen is survived by her husband, William Bellingham of Preston, Minn.; children Nancy (Brian) Houdek of Ankeny, Iowa, Margaret Ayers of Sugar Grove, Ill., John (Deb) Bellingham of Faribault, Minn., and Don Bellingham of Preston; eight grandchildren: Michelle (Jeremy) Stubbe of Ankeny, Eric Houdek of Grimes, Iowa, Nathan Ayers of Marengo, Ill., Brandon (Giana) Ayers of Aurora, Ill., Kari (Cody) VanDerVeen of Faribault, Minn., Bill (Megan) Bellingham of Rochester, Minn., Sarah (Eric) Laitinen of Warwick, R.I., and Robert Bellingham of Harmony; four great-grandchildren: Brooke Stubbe, Brenna and Owen VanDerVeen, and Logan Laitinen; sister Louise Sikkink, and numerous family and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, in-laws George and Henrietta Bellingham, brother Manley Elton and son-in-law Jim Ayers.

A special thank you to the Gundersen Care Center and Heartland Hospice Staff for the special care provided in the past two years. Please visit www.LindstromFuneralHomes.com for further information.