Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Silo Baptist Church for Delia Mae "Townsend" Bledsoe, 94, Durant, who died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005, in Four Seasons Nursing Home. Rev. Buddy Johnson and Rev. Bennie J. Townsend will officiate.

She was born June 28, 1911, in Silo to Robert Franklin and Mary Docia (Cox) Townsend. She married Roy Neeley Bledsoe Sept. 11, 1933, in Durant. She was a charter member of the Silo Baptist Church. She held offices in the Women's Missionary Union, and since 1934, she had taught in many departments in the church. Her greatest joy was 46 years of working with pre-school and hoping to make it 50 years, but she had cancer in December 1994 and then a broken hip six months later. She loved to work in her garden with flowers. For years she planted flowers and cared for them at the church. Delia loved to do crafts and was still quilting and piecing quilt tops in early 2004. Her motto was "An idle mind is a devil's workshop." Her favorite scripture was "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10) and also "Wait upon the Lord," which she said sometimes she had a hard time doing because she wanted to run on ahead. Delia was very active in the community and cemetery work.

She was preceded in death by her parents, grand-niece Connie Beckham, stepmother Fronie Townsend, sister Elsie Townsend, brothers Lee and Henry Townsend and baby twin sisters.

She is survived by her nieces Bobbie Billings, Silo, Willie Mae Tatum, Fort Worth, Texas, Carmen Manners, Durant, Joyce Collier, Durant, Martha Auston, Orange, Calif.; nephews Raymond Townsend, Calvin Townsend, W. Elmo Townsend and Bennie J. Townsend, all of California, Bobby J. Townsend, Borger, Texas, and Willard E. Townsend, Wichita Falls, Texas; grand-nieces Trina K. Mitchell, Azel, Texas, Karen Drennan, Oklahoma City, Kathy Lipko, Midlothian, Texas, Vicky Sewell, Frisco, Texas, Tonie Slaton, Wichita Falls, and Wanda Evans, Janice Roberts, Loyce Wright, Vickie Elder and Peggy Davis, all of Durant; grand-nephews Ronnie Tatum, Phillip Tatum, and Bobby Tatum, all of Fort Worth, Robert Townsend, Borger, and Robert Russell and Dean Russell, both of Durant; numerous other grand- and great-grand-nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

Burial will be in Restland Cemetery, Silo, with Phillip L. Tatum, Jennings B. Paschal III, Robert C. Townsend, Daniel Wooley, David Sewell and Willard Townsend serving as pallbearers.

Family hour will be from 7-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

The family suggests memorials be made to Silo Baptist Church or the Silo Restland Community Association.

Coffey-Murray Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
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