James O. Blystone Jr.

1931 - 2019

James O. Blystone, Jr., 88, of Indiana, passed away on Wednesday, July 24, 2019, at Indiana Regional Medical Center.

He was born April 17, 1931, in Plumcreek Township, the son of James O. Blystone, Sr. and Bertha (Boyer) Blystone.

James previously resided in the Elderton and Yatesboro areas, and was a member of the Free Methodist Church of West Kittanning. For more than 25 years he worked as an overhead crane operator at Pullman Standard of Butler, until his retirement in 1982. James also did masonry work for many years and enjoyed making woodcrafts. He had a small collection of model Farmall tractors and owned a few Farmall H tractors that he loved.

His memory will be cherished by his son, Arthur L. Blystone and wife, Kori, of Parkwood; daughters, Connie Matson and husband, William, of Rural Valley, Phyllis Shull and husband, Jerry, of Parkwood, and Artista Shives and husband, Randall, of Harrisburg; 16 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

James was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Betty A. (George) Blystone, whom he married Sept. 10, 1948, and who died Oct. 26, 1999; second wife, Thelma (Brandon) Blystone; his third wife, Marylee (Harkleroad) Blystone; brothers: Emmet, Lloyd, Lawrence, Homer, Everett, and Arthur Blystone; and sisters: Helen Reichard, Leila Smeltzer, Laura Donaldson, Harriett Sheasley, Margaret Spindler, Mildred Boyer, and Grace Marie Elioo.

Friends will be received from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. on Friday, July 26, 2019, at Clark Chapel Funeral Home, 238 S. Main St., Elderton. Additional visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the time of funeral services at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, 2019, at the funeral home, with the Rev. Forrest States officiating. Burial will be in Elderton Cemetery, Elderton. Arrangements are being handled by Clark Chapel of the Bauer Funeral Home, Inc. To send a condolence to James' family, visit www.bauerfuneral.com.