Nick Blackburn was a fun loving, onery man. He loved teasing people and that’s what they warned people in the hospital when they had shift change, that he was onery. He suffered his first heart attack when he was 43 and did well until a few months ago when the heart just didn’t want to pump everything he needed it to. Nick died September 11, 2026, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, at the age of 77 years.
Nick was born in Jefferson on June 2, 1949. He lived his whole life in Jefferson, working in many different places: Saba’s Bakery, his dad’s donut shop, Oscar Mayer in Perry, Parkers, and his last job at the Fareway Warehouse in Boone.
Nick joined the Navy in 1968 after he graduated from high school. He served for two years during the Vietnam era. He was a local member of the American Legion.
Nick and his wife Debbie met at the local roller-skating rink when she was 14. They married October 23, 1971, and to this union three children were born: Bret & Bart and Wendy.
Nick loved to fish and went on many fishing trips. He enjoyed them immensely and he enjoyed sharing the fish he caught with others. He loved crappie fishing the best and fished a lot at a farm pond near Ogden.
He liked going to beer night with the guys at Terry Semke’s and made some good friendships there.
Nick liked getting together with family on the holidays and was very helpful getting ready for those times. He wasn’t a cook but was good about offering “helpful” suggestions to his wife.
He also liked getting together with his sister-in-law Vicki to go out to eat or just go for ice cream, and also with his sister Sandy and her husband Bob just to visit.
Nick was baptized at the United Methodist Church the same time as his children.
He was preceded in death by his daughter Wendy in 2007, brother-in-law Gary Thornburg in 1987, his parents Darrell and Marjorie Balckburn, in-laws Keith and Darlene Thornburg, and brothers Jim, Jerry, Larry, and Gary Blackburn.
He is survived by his wife Debbie; sons, Bret (Laura) and Bart; sister Sandy (Bob) Baugh and Mary Hill; and brother Mark (Pam) Blackburn; sister-in-law Vicki Bishop; grandchildren Devon (Solena), Mitchell (Rylee), Lucas, Samantha Blackburn, Reese Jennings, and Britini Blackburn; many cousins; and friends. Funeral services will be held Sept. 17 at Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home with Rev. Heather Dorr officiating. Interment will be at Franklin Township Cemetery, Cooper, Iowa. Memorials are suggested to the family to be used at their discretion.
