Opal Ella Church Blankenship

NORTH WILKESBORO - Mrs. Opal Ella Church Blankenship, 80, of John McGrady Road, the wife of the late Radford Harold Blankenship Sr., died Thursday, May 8, at Wilkes Regional Medical Center. The funeral will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Baptist Home Baptist Church, with the Rev. Darrell Tate and the Rev. Victor Church officiating. Burial will be at Mountlawn Memorial Park. Mrs. Blankenship was born Sept. 3, 1922, in Wilkes County to Henry and Gracie Fariss Church. She was a member of Baptist Home Baptist Church. Mrs. Blankenship was a cosmetology instructor and had received her CNA from Wilkes Community College. She was the owner/operator of family restaurants in Wilkes County for more than 50 years, including the City Cafe, The Wooden Spoon and Harold's Cafe. A brother, Hubert Church, and two sisters, Vetta Brooks and Lucy Church, preceded Mrs. Blankenship in death. Mrs. Blankenship is survived by two sons, Dr. Rad-ford H. (Martha Jo) Blankenship Jr. of Statesville and Dr. Mike C. (Rhonda) Blankenship of Mebane; four sisters, Ruby Herman of Lenoir, Deanna Leinbach of Indianapolis, Ind., Mattie Garner of Fayetteville and Ora Lee Yeatts of Reidsville; two brothers, Archie Church of North Wilkesboro and Mack Church Jr. of Columbus, Ga.; four grandchildren, Dr. Nathan Blankenship of Statesville, Dr. Matthew Blankenship of Huntersville, Amelia Blanken-ship and Michael Blankenship, both of Mebane; and a great-grandchild, Hannah Blanken-ship of Statesville. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 tonight at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home. Flowers will be accepted; or memorials may be made to Baptist Home Baptist Church, 2362 Sparta Road, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659.