Nila Blackburn

Nila Blackburn, 68, of Springport passed away Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, after a long battle with cancer. She was born on Dec. 28, 1956, in New Castle, to the late Robert and Esther (Swartz) Boram.

A 1974 graduate of Shenandoah High School Nila was a straight A student and graduated with Honors at the top of her class. While in high school Nila took on a paper route to be able to buy her first horse. Horses were Nila's first love. During high school Nila was a cheerleader and a rifle captain on the 1973 State Champion Shenandoah Marching Band, going all the way to Washington D.C. to march for President Nixon.

In 1974 Bob spotted Nila and knew it was love at first sight, it took a few weeks for Nila to come around and go out with Bob but after five months of dating Nila and Bob eloped and this year would have been their 50th anniversary. A few years after they married Bob and Nila bought their first new house and started their family. They raised two boys all while Nila showed her horses on the weekends. She became the first female Triple A horse judge and served on the Judges committee.

Nila retired from showing horses and began her new passion of being a grandma which she adored. In addition to her love for horses and her grandchildren she enjoyed fishing, skiing and gardening and would can 100's of jars of vegetables, but most of all she loved mushroom hunting.

Nila is survived by her husband, Bob Blackburn; sons, Jemery Blackburn and Josh Blackburn; grandchildren, Devon and Ashlynn Blackburn; sister, Mary Jo (Rodney) Hoover; along with several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents Nila is preceded in death by her brothers, Steve Boram and David Boram.

Services will be on Wednesday, Aug. 13 at 1 p.m., at Cadiz Christian Church. Burial will follow at Fall Creek Friends Cemetery. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until the time of service.