JoLene Rae Bloom, 74, retired Seneca educator and NEA union member, died in Topeka, Kansas at Plaza West on Saturday, June 14.

She was born in Clarinda, Iowa the daughter of Earl and Frances Ray Bloom Jr. and had lived in Nemaha County, Kansas since age 2.

JoLene attended Kansas University in 1969-1971 after graduating with honors from Centralia High School and earning the Wanda May Vinson KAY Scholarship in 1969 for serving others in her school and community and demonstrating leadership. She received a BA in English with teaching credentials from Washburn University in 1973 and finished her MS in special education of students with emotional disorders at KSU in 1978. In 1974, like her mother, brother, and sister, she joined the Kansas teaching ranks.

JoLene was an active advocate in the educational community; she taught secondary English and/or Spanish for 33 years at Highland Park HS, Topeka, and Seneca—NVJHS/HS, as well as off-campus writing, literature, and communications for Highland Community College in Marshall and Nemaha County schools for 27 years. At USD #442, she was a state champs and third place winning coach with scholars' bowl students and was one of the longest serving Kansas Association for Youth sponsors for 32 years. She assisted many KAYS in winning Wanda May Vison scholarships, offered by the KSHSAA. She was a drill team coach, student council advisor, a school newspaper and yearbook advisor, and a member of various committees for school improvement. At the State level, she served the KSDE on the certification committee for six years and the standards committee for foreign language for three years.

She was named NV's Teacher of the Year in 1980 and 1996 and won the Master Teacher Award from ESU in 1987. She was awarded the Kansas National Education Association's Epperson Peters Award in 1991 for protecting employee rights to use personal leave for lobbying the US Congress; she also won a suit against the local board in regard to placement of employees on the salary schedule for service and education factors. She negotiated for the local district for 26 years in addition to helping bargaining teams in BV-Randolph, B&B, and Midway-Denton with contracts. She served on five due process panels that determined proper dismissal, or not, of employees by BOEs in Marysville, Vermillion Valley, Midway, Effingham, and Beattie.

She served the teachers' union in Seneca as president numerous years, was the chair of UD 7 and Konza UniServ for over ten years, was a state commissioner in negotiations, teacher rights, and public communications, negotiated KNEA staff contracts, interviewed and endorsed state, regional and local political hopefuls, was a representative to 25 state and 24 national representative assemblies and conventions, was a US Congressional lobbyist for six years, and represented local teachers in grievances of the administration in regard to contractual obligations. Bloom trained negotiating teams as well as local presidents and membership coordinators for the NEA.

In the community, JoLene was the UCC organist in Centralia from 1965-2003, served as a Bible school and a Girl Scout of America day camp volunteer as she was a 1967 God and Country recipient, the highest award in the GSA. She served as a mentor to badge and Eagle Scout seekers in the BSA.

JoLene was a founding member of the Seneca Arts Council and served as various officers who coordinated the annual Seneca Art Fair, financed summer theater productions, and provided funding for elementary school programs of drama and music. She served the Nemaha County Training Center as a board member for over 12 years, and in her multi-years' presidency, she edited the center's employee and policy handbooks and improved salaries for employees. She provided general training sessions for the Sabetha and Seneca staffs and volunteered for events such as the annual golf tournaments and ice cream socials.

JoLene served on the Kanza Mental Health Board, she was a member of the original City of Seneca Planning Committee and, later, the zoning board. She was the President of the Nemaha County Community Building Board. JoLene has been a lifetime precinct committee woman with the Democratic Party in Seneca and encouraged "Get Out and Vote" as well as "Meet the Candidate" events as the NVTA president and the County Democratic chair in the 1990's and again in 2017-2020.

Her deceased parents are Frances Emma (Ray) and Earl Bloom, Jr. JoLene's brother Dr. Danny Earl Bloom, Lawrence, passed in November of 2017; she is survived by his sons: Eric (Colleen) Bloom and son Beau and Dr. Nathan (Brook) Bloom and sons Liam, Owen, and Brady, Lawrence; her sister Marsha Kay (Bloom) and David Lee Walters as well as their children Roxanne (Walters) Woodside and her children Kylie and Brody; nephews Dustin and Jessica Walters and sons Max and Eli, all of Centralia, and Blake and Amber Walters and sons Crayton and Boston, Baldwin City as well as her rescue felines: (list surviving cats—as of 8/15/2019) Spooner, Tux, Moxie, Ritzy, and Binx).

Family and friends were important aspects of JoLene's life: numerous cousins in the Armstrong, Ray, and Bloom branches of the family, including Dick, Jean, Ron, and Joan, traveling friends Judy Hoffman, Joe and Karen Benson, high school classmates Judy Clouse, Ruth Fraser, Jacque Lierz, friends Dr. Ann McBride, Pat Massie, Kate Ronnebaum, Dee Lizzol, Sharon Bailey, KNEA staff and members, former NVHS staff members and students including Peggy Peregrine, Donna Dodge, Rita Spellman, Dee Lintz,Mel and AMary Baker, early mentors Cindy Ayers, Harriet Winquist, Angie Stalcup, Katherine Bachman, and Joyce DeBord, and neighbors Bill and Joann Huerter, Lela Walters, and the friendly faces of neighborhood children.

JoLene found great pleasures in traveling, especially with family, playing bridge, reading, movies, gardening, photography, politics, individuals' rights, baking, art, trivia competitions, and cats.

Funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025 at 1:00 P.M. at the Centralia Community Church (east building) with interment at the Centralia City Cemetery.

Memorials can be sent in care of the family with designations for the Centralia Bible School.

To express your sympathy and for more information visit www.lauerfuneralhome.com .