Henry J. Blackford

Henry John Blackford, age 93, of Golden City, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008, at Missouri Veterans Home in Mount Vernon.Henry was born July 12, 1915, in Carthage, Mo., to Laughlin and Lillie (Ware) Blackford. He joined the U.S. Army in 1941 and trained to guard the Golden Gate Bridge. In addition to farming and raising livestock near Golden City, Henry had worked in the Jewel Wayne McCall Block Plant in Lamar for 10 years and for Independent Gravel in Carthage for many years. He retired from quarry work in 1985, but continued to farm for nearly 20 more years. On Oct. 27, 1946, at Columbus, Kan., Henry married Wanda L. Davis, and she preceded him in death Aug. 4, 2000. He was also preceded in death by a brother, Ray Blackford; a sister, Martha Curry; a favorite granddaughter, Kelly Gotcher Forst; and a great-grandson, Adam Forst.Survivors include two sons, Darrell and wife, Peggy Blackford, and John Blackford, all of Lamar; a daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Doug Bevins, El Paso, Texas; a sister, Minnie Sargent, Carthage; a grandson, Daniel and wife, Sonja Blackford, Galena, Kan.; a grandson-in-law, Michael Forst, Lamar; and four great-grandchildren, Kendall, Katelyn, Wyatt, and Hunter. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Daniel Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday. Burial will be in Mount Carmel Cemetery west of Golden City with military rites conducted by V.F.W. Post 3691 and the Juliet Honors Team.