Michael Wayne Blum

Michael Wayne Blum, age 70, of Sedalia, Missouri, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on August 26th, having been deeply loved by his family and friends.

Michael was born on March 20, 1956, in Glencoe, Minnesota, to his loving parents, Donald and Marianna Blum. He grew up in Stewart, Minnesota, alongside his precious siblings, Anthony, Carolyn, and Gina. He graduated from Stewart High School as valedictorian and received many awards for his excellence in football and baseball.

Michael attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where he achieved a 4.0+ GPA and double-majored in psychology and physical education. He played football as a defensive end for the Concordia Cobbers and made many wonderful friendships during his college years. While attending Concordia, he also met his beloved wife, Julie Ann Larson. They were united in marriage in 1979 in her hometown of Litchfield, Minnesota.

As a married couple, Michael and Julie moved to Keokuk, Iowa, where Michael began his first job as a teacher while Julie attended nursing school. While in nursing school, Julie met a Christian teacher named John Breshears, who exemplified the beauty of Christ. Michael and Julie began attending his church and were deeply affected by the lives of its Christian members. Both Michael and Julie became Christians on the same day in 1984, an event that changed their lives forever.

Michael and Julie later moved to Ames, Iowa, where Michael received his master’s degree in Industrial Relations from Iowa State University. After three years in Iowa, Michael and Julie moved to Kirksville, Missouri, where he began teaching at Truman State University. While in Kirksville, after seven years of marriage and after a doctor had told them it would be nearly impossible to have children, God blessed them with their first son, Nathanael Michael. A few years later, God gave them a second blessing, Joshua Tyler.

In 1988, the family moved to Columbia, Missouri, where Michael pursued his Ph.D. at the University of Missouri. While in Columbia, the Lord blessed them with their daughter, Elizabeth Ann. After completing his Ph.D., the family returned to Kirksville, Missouri, where Michael began his 30-plus years of teaching at Truman State University. While in Kirksville, the Lord blessed them again with another son, Matthew Isaac.

Michael’s greatest joys in life were his faith in the Lord and his family. He loved to fellowship with others and sing hymns. He was often the all-time quarterback in backyard family football games, and he took great joy in coaching his sons in baseball and basketball. He loved a good game of Five Hundred or chess and especially enjoyed hiking in the woods and spending time outdoors. He treasured taking trips with Julie and enjoying dinner dates together. As the years went by, he found great delight in watching his family grow. His family was truly the joy of his heart. He treasured every gathering, every game, every conversation, and every opportunity to spend time with those he loved so dearly. Above all, Michael was grateful for the Lord’s blessings and for the precious gift of the family God had given him.

Michael was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017, though he had experienced symptoms for several years prior. Despite the debilitating effects of the disease, God graciously enabled Michael to continue living life to the fullest. He did not allow Parkinson’s to define him or determine the way he lived. Instead, Michael chose to keep going, to think of others, and to make the most of each day God gave him. Michael was preceded in death by his father, Donald; his mother, Marianna; his brother, Anthony; and his brother-in-law, James Shiro.

Through these difficult years, Michael and Julie became an encouragement to many as they walked this journey together with faith, perseverance, and love. Their lives were a testimony to God’s sustaining grace and to the strength found in trusting Him through every season.

Visitation will be 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm, Friday, September 4, 2026 at Heckart Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be 10:00 am, Saturday, September 5, 2026 at Heckart Funeral Home.

Private family burial will follow in Smithton Cemetery.

Memorial gifts are suggested to Faith Fellowship Church in support of proclaiming the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9