Carolyn Ann Blankenchip

Carolyn Ann Blankenchip, 84, of Independence, Missouri, formerly of Elma, Washington, passed away on Sunday, August 10, 2025, at Centerpoint Medical Center.

Graveside funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at Mound Grove Cemetery. A celebration of life will be held at Waldo Avenue Restoration Branch at a later date. 

Carolyn was born on May 9, 1941, in Grants Pass, Oregon, to Rex Robert and Lydia Luella (Ross) Fifield. She grew up in Grants Pass and graduated from Grants Pass High School in 1959, moving to Los Angeles shortly thereafter. Over the years, she made her home in Oregon, California, Missouri and Washington before settling in Independence nine years ago.

She worked in food service in Washington and was a dedicated volunteer at the senior center, food bank, and church. She helped bake pies and worked at the church pie booth at the fairgrounds in the 1980s. She enjoyed genealogy, crafts, her various collections, playing the piano, going to garage sales and antique stores, gardening, decorating for the holidays, cake decorating, love to bake, trivia, and going for Sunday drives, as well as vacation trips with her family. She had the opportunity to see Vancouver, Canada, Mount Rushmore, Niagara Falls, and several Church historical sites. Carolyn cherished spending time with her family.

Carolyn enjoyed listening to church hymns, oldies/classic rock music, and her grandson Levi singing. She enjoyed reading and studying scriptures and old church books. She was a Seattle Seahawks fan as well as a Kansas City Chiefs fan. She was a faithful member of the RLDS Church, was baptized on June 14, 1953, and had attended the Waldo Avenue Restoration Branch.

She is survived by five children: Janie Anderson and husband Wade of Elma, Washington; Glenn Thorne and wife Laura of Centralia, Washington; David Blankenchip of Norman, Oklahoma; Karen Blankenchip of Independence, Missouri; and Clint Blankenchip of Garfield, Washington. She is also survived by a sister, Althea Kendall of Chehalis, Washington; a brother, Marshall Fifield of Vancouver, Washington; eleven grandchildren; and thirteen great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Robert Blankenchip, and four brothers: Rex Fifield, Jr., Gerald Fifield, Merle Fifield, and Leslie Fifield.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.speakschapel.com.

(Arrangements: Speaks Suburban Chapel (816) 373-3600