Harold Blankenship

Harold J. Blankenship, 88, of Decatur died September 1, 2012, at Decatur Memorial Hospital. Services will be held 2:00 PM Thursday September 6, 2012 at Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services. Burial will be in Fairlawn Cemetery. Military rites will be conducted by Macon County Honor Guard. Memorials are suggested to Tabernacle Baptist Church. Harold was born September 7, 1923 in rural Fayette County, Illinois, the son of Reginald L. And Almeda B. (Causey) Blankenship. He graduated from Coffeen High School at age 15 and attended Brown's Centralia Business College. He joined Oil Well Supply Company in Salem, IL until inducted into the Armed Forces in February, 1943. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps. After attending Army Air Corps training in Colorado and Mississippi, he was assigned to Spinazzola, Italy where he served until the war was over. He was then assigned to the Air Transport Command in Natal, Brazil until he returned to the U.S. and discharged from military service on September 25, 1945. He married Carol Sancken on May 5, 1946 in Springfield, IL. He returned to Oil Well Supply Company in Hobbs, NM and Odessa, TX. He then returned to Illinois and joined the Decatur Park District as a laborer in May, 1948 and retired as Executive Director of the Decatur Park District on December 31, 1983. Harold enjoyed traveling and was privileged to take an African safari toKenya, traveled to Holland, Belgium, France, Germany and Luxemburg in Europe. He visited the Holy Land and made two trips to Hawaii, as well as to 49 of the 50 states. After retirement he also continued to indulge in his enjoyment of gerdening and landscape planning, an interest he had developed in his association with the Park District. He was a charter member of Christian Business Men's Committee of Decatur and was a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church. He leaves his wife, Carol, of 66 years; daughter Patricia K. Isenberg of Baton Rouge, LA; son, Curtis James Blankenship of Mt. Zion; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; brother, Roger Blankenship of Nokomis, IL; sisters, Jaynece Dothager of Mulberry Grove and Jewell Gunn of Fayetteville, GA. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and one brother. "
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