Nan Ellen Kana

IN LOVING MEMORY OF NAN ELLEN BLANKINSHIP KANA
February 21, 1940 – June 26, 2025
Nan Ellen Blankinship Kana, beloved wife, daughter, sister and friend, passed away
peacefully in Corsicana, Texas at the age of 85.
Nan was born on February 21, 1940 to Harold H. Blankinship and Minnie Belle Hicks
Blankinship. She attended Robert E. Lee Elementary School, Drane Junior High, and Corsicana
High School, from which she graduated with honors in 1958. While attending CHS, she was very
involved in extracurricular activities. Nan was a member of the band and Acapella Choir and was
on the National Honor Society and Scholarship Roll every six weeks.
After high school, Nan attended Navarro College, graduating with an Associates Degree
in Biology in 1960. In 1962, she graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor
of Science Degree in Biology. Nan furthered her educational career with a Masters of Liberal Arts
Degree in Psychology in 1974 from Southern Methodist University.
Nan met and married the love of her life, Joseph Michael Kana, on January 3, 1981. She
worked as a realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty for many years, and along with her husband, Joe,
helped manage her parents' family farm in Pettys Chapel called Val E Vue Farms. Nan loved being
at the family farm and always had a soft spot for animals.
Nan was a longtime active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church of Corsicana,
Texas, where she sang in the choir and taught Sunday School class. She was always willing to
serve the Lord in any capacity when called upon. Nan loved her pets and enjoyed raising money
for SPCA of Texas, as well as the Alzheimer's Association, the American Heart Association, and
Wounded Warriors. In her Last Will and Testament, she left the majority of her estate to charities.
Nan was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her younger sister, Sandra Kay
Blankinship. She is survived by her many friends and loved ones whom she looked upon as her
family. We wish to thank the staff at Twilight Nursing Home and her hospice nurse, Kristi Pollard,
of Bristol Hospice, for their compassionate care.
A joint celebration of life ceremony with her sister, Sandra Kay Blankinship, will be held
at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Corsicana at 2 p.m. on Thursday, September 4, 2025. In
lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Nan's beloved Westminster Presbyterian Church.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF SANDRA KAY BLANKINSHIP
July 14, 1946 – December 15, 2024
Sandra (Sandy) Kay Blankinship, beloved daughter, sister, friend, and lover of animals, passed away at Ascension Seton Hays Hospital in Kyle, Texas on December 15, 2024 at the age of 78.
Sandra was born on July 14, 1946 to Harold H. Blankinship and Minnie Belle Hicks Blankinship. Sandra was the baby of the family, being 6 years junior to her older sister, Nan. Being raised on a farm, Sandra acquired a fondness for all the farm animals. She often spoke of the many dogs, cats, horses and cows she grew up with at Val E Vue Farms in Pettys Chapel, outside Corsicana, Texas. As an adult, she was always surrounded by pet dogs and cats, many of whom she rescued or adopted.
Sandra graduated from Corsicana High School in 1964. Her love for animals first led her to find a job as a veterinarian's assistant. Later, she attended Navarro College in 1965-1967 and received her nursing degree, which led to career spanning over 40 years as a Licensed Vocational Nurse. Sandra spent several of those years as an urgent care nurse in Colorado, treating victims of skiing accidents. She then moved to the Austin, Texas area to work as a radiology technician for many years. Sandy loved helping people and caring for her patients.
She was the kind of nurse who was always ready to lend support and a listening ear.
Sandy loved life and spending time in nature. She loved exploring the state parks near Austin and going tubing on the San Marcos River. Some of her favorite places to visit were Kerrville, Lake Travis, the Lady Bird Wildflower Center, and the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Schoenstatt, a beautiful, historic Catholic church overlooking the Colorado River in the Hill Country of central Texas.
Sandra was devoted to her older sister, Nan, and faithfully visited her, making the long drive to Corsicana to supervise her care in the nursing home. She extended her care and concern to her friends as well, and was always checking on the health of those she loved, and following up, sometimes relentlessly, to make sure they were following doctor's orders. Sandy had a heart of gold and always put the needs of others before her own needs. She never forgot about anyone she learned was suffering, and always included them in her prayers. Sandy will be missed by the many colleagues, patients, neighbors, and friends whose hearts she touched.
Sandra loved her pets and often volunteered her time for charity work. In her Last Will and Testament, she left the entirety of her estate to charity, a substantial portion of which was bequeathed to the SPCA of Texas and the Navarro County Humane Society.
Sandra was preceded in death by her parents and by her former husband and best friend, Steve Upchurch, with whom she maintained a loving and caring relationship, frequently visiting him and checking on his health until he passed away from multiple sclerosis. She was survived by her older sister, Nan Ellen Blankinship Kana, her much beloved and faithful canine companion, Callie, and many friends and loved ones.