Mattie Lou Blankenship

Mattie Lou Blankenship of the Bertha community died early Tuesday evening, July 10, 2007, in a Dothan hospital. She was 73.

Funeral services will be Friday in the New Hope Baptist Church at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Shane Traylor officiating. Burial will follow in the New Hope Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the mortuary in Headland.

Mrs. Blankenship was a native of Newville, daughter of the late Bertice Grigley Jones and Ruby J. McCoy Jones. She lived in the Bertha community most of her lifetime. Mrs. Blankenship was a member of the New Hope Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her stepfather, Andrew Hudson Watson, and also two sisters, Margaret Arnold and Sue Peterson.

Surviving relatives include her husband, Gerald J. Blankenship; two daughters, Wanda Blankenship Johnson and Linda Blankenship Watson, all of the Bertha community; a son, Danny Blankenship, Dothan; two brothers, Billy Gene Jones and wife, Kathryn Jones, of Headland; Kenneth Wayne Watson and wife, Gail Watson, of Rehobeth; five grandchildren, Jessica McDaniel and husband, Mike McDaniel, Luke Blankenship, Haley Watson, Dylan Blankenship and Billy Eugene Jones; a great-granddaughter, Madison Taylor (Maddie) McDaniel.

Serving as active pallbearers will be Danny Blankenship, Eugene Jones, Mark Blankenship, Cullen Blankenship, Ryan Ruiz, Jackie Blankenship and Mike McDaniel.

Holman-Headland Mortuary, (334) 693-3371, is in charge of arrangements. Sign the guest book at www.dothaneagle.com.