Cora Ranlett Blankenship Beach

Cora Elizabeth Ranlett Blankenship Beach, of Bay St. Louis, MS., peacefully passed to be with her Lord on April 27, 2011, surrounded by her loving family at the age of 92. She was the matriarch of the Blankenship family. Cora was born in New Orleans to the late Thomas Jenkins Semmes Ranlett and Adele Olive White Ranlett. After their premature deaths she and her siblings were reared by her great aunt “Nana� Hannah Olive White and grandmother “Nanine� Cora Semmes Ranlett. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Eugene A. Blankenship; second husband, Paul M. Beach; brothers, Thomas Jenkins Semmes Ranlett, Jr., Albert Sidney Ranlett, III; sisters, Adele Olive Ranlett Ferguson, Theodora Ranlett Schmalz; daughters, Eleanor Blankenship Hyman, Jean Marie Blankenship; and grandchildren, Jeannine Cavalier and Scott Blankenship. She is survived by her sister, Marie Ranlett Hutsler Rolf of Los Angeles, CA.; children, Thomas Jenkins Semmes Ranlett Blankenship (Sherry), Cora Blankenship Macormic, Lynn Blankenship Mahoney (John), Barbara Blankenship Mattix Ferguson (Scott); 16 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. She attended Mc Main High School and Newcomb College. She is the 9th generation of “Semmes America� by Anderson Humphreys and Curt Guenther. She loved her family, and enjoyed life to the fullest. An avid history buff who enjoyed teaching and learning new things, particularly anything about New Orleans. Her favorite past time activities included cooking, reading mysteries and cookbooks, eating seafood at New Orleans restaurants, shopping in the French Quarter, and watching Antiques Road Show, Jeopardy and Justin Wilson on TV. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at LAKE LAWN METAIRIE FUNERAL HOME CHAPEL, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. at 1:00PM on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Interment will follow at Lake Lawn Park. Visitation will begin at 11:00AM.