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Randel J. Blankenship
Randel J. Blankenship
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Randel J. Blankenship, of East Prairie, MO, passed away September 21, 2025, at Missouri Delta Community Hospital. Born March 17, 1930, in Monette, Arkansas, to the late Claude E. and Mabel Randel Blankenship. He attended Monette schools, graduating in 1947. He attended Harding College until 1950 when he enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean Conflict.
He graduated from Arkansas State University in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and earned a Master's Degree in Education from Memphis State University. He later completed a Specialist degree in Educational Administration from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.
Randel served as a high school teacher and principal at Oran, Missouri. He then served as superintendent for Bloomfield, Woodland, and East Prairie school districts. He was a member and officer of several civic and professional organizations.
He is survived by his wife Myra Lee; two daughters Melissa Blankenship and Sarah Blankenship (Ben); one stepdaughter Lynn Bollinger (Dan), two granddaughters, Katie and Avery McPherson; step-grandson Daniel Bollinger (Sunny); step-granddaughter, Lee Bollinger-Ingram; four great grandchildren, one great great granddaughter, and his cat Tom.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Norma Sharp, his brothers-in-law Elam Sharp and Dorsey Childress, and his best friend, Dennis Wheeler.
Randel was an avid outdoorsman that respected nature and loved fishing, hunting, birdwatching, and gardening. Pragmatic, humble, and values driven, he was a positive influence and a treasure to those who knew him.
The family will receive friends from 11:00 a.m. until noon, Friday, September 26, 2025, at the McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston, MO.
A committal service with full military honors will follow at 1:00 p.m. Friday, at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, MO
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Disabled American Veterans (DAV) at www.Dav.org or the National Park Foundation at www.nationalparks.org.
Online condolences may be shared at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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201 S. Center Street, Charleston, MO 63834
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