A little family History
We are a family run small business, with the homestead property being purchased by Waldo and Cynthia Blodgett in 1961. They raised their children Buzz, George and Cynthia Blodgett on the property, all attending San Dieguito High School and surfing and sunbathing on the local beaches. Blodgett Glass was a business created by Waldo and Cynthia Blodgett, along with the help of their children. Before glass there was pottery, surfboard shaping and ding repair.
Blodgett Glass’s first line wasn’t until 1972, after Waldo, also known as Wally, and his sons, Buzz and George, had been taught the art of Swedish style glassblowing by a visiting craftsman. George left to attend bible college when he was 18, Buzz stayed and attended San Diego State University, receiving a degree in chemistry. George married his wife Pam and raised their two children in Arizona; George and Pam now live in Oklahoma near their oldest daughter and her family. George’s older brother, Buzz Blodgett, is the current owner of Blodgett Glass and has been since 1987. Buzz had lived in Florida for a few years, but returned when Wally’s heart and health started failing. Wally passed in 1991, on the homestead property.
Wally and Cynthia’s daughter, Cynthia Kranz, moved onto the property with her husband, Tony Kranz, and their three children in 1997. They quickly began remodeling the home to fit the extended family. Along with the extensive remodel came landscaping and the continuation of a family love of gardening. The Kranz’s embraced a multigenerational home for the opportunity of support and family it provided. It also allowed the opportunity to pass along interests and passions from the older generation to the younger. Cynthia Blodgett had a love for baking, cooking, sewing, fashion, embroidery, quilting, crochet, jewelry making and classic movies that she passed on to her daughter and granddaughter. Wally’s wife Cynthia lived 22 years past him, to 2013, and also passed on the homestead property.
The Blodgett Homestead Now
To honor the legacy of Cynthia’s family, the property remains Blodgett Homestead, even if it is a Kranz family venture. Blodgett Homestead is run by Cynthia Kranz, with the help of two of her children, Brian Kranz and Stephanie Kast. If the name Kranz sounds familiar to you, Cynthia’s husband, Tony Kranz, is the mayor of Encinitas. Tony is also a skilled photographer and has been working in printing for the last 30 years. He has a passion for typography and community.
The passion for community has driven the project of Blodgett Homestead and we want to invite the community to visit the homestead and become part of the family.