LUA REEFORD BLANKENSHIP

BLANKENSHIP, Col. LuaReeford, age 88, died onWednesday, March 3,2010, at his home, 1621 Timber Trail, Deatsville, Alabama.He was preceded in death byhis grandfather, Lane Blankenship, who was his bestfriend and mentor, his parents, Fred and India PerryBlankenship, brothers, Freddie and Paul and his sisters,Thelma Henry, Katha Seale,Janice, Paula, Tonnie andBreeze Blankenship. He is survived by his wife, Ruth WilsonBlankenship, one brother,Stanley Blankenship (Angela), two sisters, Sona BelleStepp (Ray) and Ursula Blankenship, two sons, Lua Reeford Blankenship, Jr. and Derek Lua Blankenship, threedaughters, Anita Rene Cronier (Jerry), Tina Marie Bowles(Stanley) and Johnnie KatrinaMorgan (Chris), three step-daughters, Kimberly LynnHuggins (Tim), Kelli Lee Lowery (James), and Kristy RuthBurke (Mark), Special FriendsSam and Brenda Antley aswell as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Col. Blankenship had aB.S. degree in Forestry and aMasters in Wildlife Management, both from Auburn University and graduated fromthe Army War College. Heserved in the U.S. Army duringWorld War II and after his retirement, joined the AlabamaArmy National Guard wherehe proudly served for manyyears. Later, he worked as theDirector of Transportation forthe Baldwin County SchoolSystem. Respectfully called""Col B,"" his can-do attitudeenabled him to understandand succeed at any task.Often assigned to the leastdesirable units of the State, heleft them in prime condition inevery way. He had a specialaffinity for the enlisted people, whom he called theback-bone or the workers.His constant cries were 'WarEagle' and Special Forces 'Allthe Way!' The family will receive friends at Brookside Funeral Home in Millbrook onSaturday, March 6, 2010 from6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Funeral Services will be held on Sunday,March 7, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. atthe Pine Flat PresbyterianChurch, with Rev. Dave Burnsofficiating. The body will lie instate from 1 p.m. until servicetime. Interment with full military honors will follow in thechurch cemetery. Pine FlatPresbyterian Church is located on Hwy 143 in Deatsvilleapproximately three milesNorth from the Deatsville PostOffice and approximatelytwo miles South from Wadsworth. Honorary pallbearerswill be members of the Special Forces Group and activepallbearers will be Jerry Cronier, Tim Huggins, James Lowery, Mark Burke, Casey Antleyand Jake Nelson. In lieu offlowers, contributions may bemade to any Salvation Armyfacility or to the Pine FlatChurch Preservation Fund,c/o Mary Ann Wingard, 95Hilltop Circle, Deatsville, Alabama 36022. As Col. B reportsfor his final assignment, thoseof us he leaves behind willmiss him and honor his memory always.