McAlester News-Capital, McAlester, OK

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January 8, 2013

Wayne Blankenship

Submitted report

McALESTER — Wayne Blankenship, 61, of Haileyville, died Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, at McAlester Regional Health Center.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Brumley-Mills Funeral Home in Hartshorne.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Edgewood United Methodist Church in Hartshorne with the Rev. Paul Tucker officiating. Burial will be at Gowen-Cambria Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Brumley-Mills Funeral Home of Hartshorne.

Born July 24, 1951, in Wilburton, he was the son of Donald and Lavern (Sutton) Blankenship. He grew up in the Wilburton area and had lived virtually all his life in Leflore, Latimer and Pittsburg counties.

He was a true cowboy and worked on ranches in the area all his life. It was a rare sight to see him, out and about, without his spurs. He loved ranching and caring for and riding horses. He also enjoyed rodeos, dancing and sipping coffee and swapping tall tales with his friends.

Through his love of riding (and racing) horses, he was a member of a group of cowboys known as “The Outhouse Gang.” He married Debbie Button on July 30, 2007, in Hartshorne.

Survivors include his wife, Debbie Blankenship, of the home; children, Lisa Kirkes and her husband, Roland, of Poteau, Doyle Blankenship and his wife, Taira, of Wellston, Johnny Blankenship and his wife, Stacy, of McAlester, Shelia Blankenship, of Pittsburg, D.J. Blankenship and his wife, Talisha, of McAlester, Krystal Looper and her husband, Andrew, of Gowen, Jennifer Akedo and her husband, Rick, Antelope, Calif., and Brion Jones, Las Vegas, Nev.

Also, grandchildren, Forrest Kirkes, Luke Kirkes, Gannon Blankenship, Gage Blankenship, Lilly Blankenship, Alex Looper, Trinity Looper, Trista Looper, Brionna Akedo, Kyle Akedo, Caitlyn Akedo and Nathan Akedo; his mother, Laverne Blankenship, of Salonia.

And, three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Loretta Davis and her husband, Benny, of McAlester, Wanda Christopher and her husband, Wayne, of Salonia, and Shirley Gandee, of Salonia, and brothers-in-law and sister-in-law, Jim Button, Brookdale, Calif., and Steve and Kim Button, Brookdale.

He was preceded in death by his father, Donald Blankenship; his grandparents, Harrison and Cecil Blankenship and Walter and Della Sutton; a brother-in-law, Fred Gandee, and aunts and uncles, Christine and Hershal Tucker and RosaLee and Bill Montana.

Pallbearers will be Steve Davis, John Walker, Frank Conley, Jim Oldham, Frankie Thomason and Billy Morrow.

Honorary pallbearers will be Walter Freeman, Randy Stevens, Jim McAdoo, Bill Bailey, Billy Bailey, Robby McCabe and all his grandchildren

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