William Arnold Blankenship

Dad will be dearly missed. He passed away on January 26, 2011. He is now where he wanted to be with Jesus and his wife Leora. Dad was born September 26, 1924 in Ethel, WA to William Noah Blankenship and Madorra Segretta (Workman) Blankenship.
Dad always dreamed of going turkey hunting and panning for gold. He did enjoy going to farm auctions, elk hunting with his son Dave, brother Swede and nephew Lee and clam digging with his son-in-law Garry. Mom and Dad also enjoyed belonging to the Mossyrock Damsighters Square Dance Club and the Mossyrock Grange.
Dad joined the Marines in 1944 and served during World War II. He was then called back to serve again in 1950 going to Japan and Korea. After serving his country, he returned home and became a farmer. On the dairy farm he would start milking in the morning and leave to go drive trucks for Champion while Mom would go and finish milking the cows. When Dad came home from driving trucks then it was time for him to go milk cows again in the evening. It was great growing up on the farm. Mom and Dad had a dairy farm until the Mossyrock Dam was built and then they moved up on the hill by his father. Dad then continued farming with beef cattle. Dad worked for Champion International from 1955-1987 when he retired after 32 years of driving logging trucks. He also drove trucks for J. Griam, Ed Ayers and S.J. Grasseth.
He is survived by daughter Barbara Lovelady; sons, Dave (Joyce) Blankenship and Rick (Carol) Reed. He loved his grandchildren dearly: Marco (Tami Davis) Trejo, Rebecca (Jesse) Trejo-Dunham, Amanda Perez, Megan (Doug Taylor) Blankenship, Mindy (Chris) Fay, Troy (Daniel) Reed, great grandson Rafael Perez, great granddaughters Samantha Fay, Lauren Fay; step-grandchildren: Erine (Nancy) Reed, Dinean Reeves; step-great grandchildren: Joshua Malchow, Ashley Malchow, Tyler Reeves, Lacey Malchow, Tony Reeves, Tino Reed, Jonathan Reed, Virginia Reed; step-great great grandchildren: Jessy Childress and Triston Malchow. There were many friends of their grandchildren that called him grandpa. Dad is also survived by brothers Swede (Barbara) Blankenship in Lake Chelan, WA and Delmon (Connie) Blankenship in Olympia, a sisiter-in-law Myrt Victorino in Chehalis and a brother-in-law Paul (Betty) Fleming in Kernville, CA as well as serveral nieces and nephews. Mom and Dad also had foster children.
He was preceded in death by his wife Leora (9/16/2010); son, Roger Blankenship; parents, Noah and Greta Blankenship; grandparents, T.I. and Mary Blankenship; half-brothers, Enos, Oscar, Jack, Neuhman, Don; and brothers, Harry and Freeman Blankenship; half-sisters, Inez Blankenship and Mildred Dow; son-in-law, Garry Lovelady; and grandson, Jessy Reed.
We would like to thank the people who cared for him over the last few years: Megan Blankenship, Doug Taylor, Elsie Kirk, Sally Cowles and Janet Tevis. Thank you to Pastor George Page, Pastor Eldon Iverson, and Sticklin Funeral Chapel for their assistance during this difficult time. We also want to thank Mossyrock Lewis County Fire District #3 for the loving care they gave Dad.
A celebration of life for Dad will be held on February 4, 2011 at 1 PM at the Richland Valley Church of the Brethren (118 Swofford Road) at Ajlune and a potluck will follow at the Mossyrock Grange #355 (152 Isbell Road).
Please sign the guest book at www.legacy.com/chronline
This obituary was originally published in The Chronicle Newspaper.