MRS. BESSIE M. BLANKENSHIP

Services for Mrs. Bessie Mae Blankenship of 2906 Allis Ave. will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Bisch Memorial Home. Rev. Edwin Weber officiating. Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery.

Mrs. Blankenship, 55, died at 11:55 p.m. Monday at St. John's Hospital. She was a member of the Assembly of God Church.

She is survived by six sons, Lewis Whetzel, William, Robert, and Joseph Blankenship, all of Springfield, Ora Blankenship Sr. of the U.S. Army, and Fred Blankenship of the US. Navy: eight daughters, Helen Bollinger, Evelyn Kidd, Denzil DeVaney, Juanita Mangalvite, Shirley Freligh and Donna and Linda Blankenship, all of Springfield, and Almeda Horsfall of Northville, Mich.; three brothers, Edward Troutt of Hillview, William of St. Louis, Mo., and Fred of the state of Maryland; five sisters, Myrtle Cundiff and Viola Robson, both of Springfield: Lucy Book of White Hall, Juanita Garner of Florence, Ala, and Evelyn Burk of Lake Monroe, Fla., and 41 grandchildren.

Daily Illinois State Journal
Wednesday, Jul 25, 1962
Springfield, IL
Page: 11

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Bessie Mae is my Grandmother's sister and I have personal knowledge along with data for the corrections I have made.

Bessie Mae Troutt was born on 30 Aug 1906 in Illinois as the fourth child of Fredrick Troutt and Myrtle May Mabb. She had ten siblings, namely: Lucy Ray, Elsie May, Bernie Edward, William Roland, Myrtle A., Viola Ora, Juanita Georgina, Fred Henry Sr., Evelyn Maxine, and Infant Son and two half-siblings, namely; Charles Edward, and Shirley Jones.

She died on 23 Jul 1962 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA.

When she was 14, she married Lewis Edward Whetzel, son of Louis O. Whetzel and Almena Wilhemina Smith, in 1920. They were granted a divorce in Springfield, Illinois on 6 Aug 1934. Bessie was given custody of their 8 children. Only her 3 oldest children kept the last name of Whetzel, the rest of her children with Lewis ended up taking their stepfather's last name of Blankenship after her marriage to Ora in 1935.

When she was 28, she married William Ora Blankenship, son of Mack Spencer Blankenship, and Elizabeth Davidson, about 1935. Their marriage license was granted on 31 Mar 1935.

Lewis Edward Whetzel and Bessie Mae Troutt had the following children:

1. Helen Ione Whetzel was born on 12 Jan 1921 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. She died on 06 Oct 1999 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA.

2. Lewis Frederick Whetzel was born on 02 Nov 1922 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. He died on 26 Oct 2000 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA.

3. Almeda Mae Whetzel was born on 12 Jan 1925 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. She died on 22 Jun 2014 in Fowlerville, Livingston, Michigan, USA.

4. William Roy Blankenship was born on 16 Nov 1926 in Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, United States of America. He died on 16 Mar 2013 in Dawson, Sangamon County, Illinois, United States of America.

5. Robert Eugene Blankenship was born on 03 Apr 1928 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. He died on 18 Apr 1999 in Tucson, Pima, Arizona, USA. He married Mildred Ann Gansbauer in 1988.

6. Joseph Francis Blankenship was born on 10 Jan 1930 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. He died on 09 Aug 2001 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. He married Geneva Frances Blankenship on 02 Jul 1951.

7. Evelyn Joyce Blankenship was born on 06 Oct 1932 in Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, United States of America. She died on 27 May 2004 in Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, United States of America.

8. Denzil Lorene Blankenship was born on 04 Nov 1933 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. She died on 01 Jan 2017 in Myrtle Beach, Horry, South Carolina, USA.

William Ora Blankenship and Bessie Mae Troutt had the following children:

1. Ora W Blankenship was born on 15 Jun 1936 in Illinois.

2. Shirley Mae Blankenship was born on 22 Sep 1937 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. She died on 10 Apr 1996.

3. Juanita Maxin Blankenship was born on 03 Dec 1939 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. She died on 15 Feb 2008 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA.

4. Frederick Harvey Blankenship was born on 25 Jul 1942 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. He died on 16 Apr 2019 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA.

5. Donna Jean Blankenship was born on 12 Jul 1943 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. She died on 14 Jul 2009 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA.

6. Linda Blankenship was born on 22 Jan 1950 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA. She died on 28 Jan 2015 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, USA.