BLANDIN, Mahlon Melvin 1859-1936

BLANDIN, FERGUSON, SMALLEY, WATERS, KNOWLTON

Posted By: Diane Scott (email)
Date: 5/15/2010 at 15:57:56

#1:

BLANDIN, 77, DIES AT ORCHARD; WIDOW AND 7 CHILDREN ARE SURVIVORS

OSAGE, IOWA - Mahlon Melvin Blandin, 77 died at his home at Orchard Thursay morning after a prolonged illness with diabetes. Born in Wisconsin December 27, 1859, Mr. Blandin had been a farmer in the Orchard vicinity most of his life. Fifty years ago in June he was married to Miss Minnie Ferguson and they had 12 children.

Funeral services were held at 1 o'clock Friday afternoon at Champion funeral home and at 2 o'clock at the Orchard church in charge of the Rev. Frank Court of the Osage Methodist church with burial in the Orchard cemetery.

Surviving are his widow and seven children; Mrs. Howard Smalley of Oage; Chester of Des Moines; Vincent of Orchard; Kenneth of Osage; Harold of Milbank, S. Dakota; Dudley of Orchard and James of California. Mrs. Carol Waters, his daughter, preceded him in death two months ago.

note* his wife was born Lavona Amelia Dudley and after her parents died she lived first with Mr. and Mrs. Frank Thomas, and then went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Fergason.

[Mason City Globe Gazette, Friday, April 10, 1936]
(Transcribed by D. Scott)

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#2:

BLANDIN, Mahlon Melvin 1859-1936

M. M. Blandin Died
Last Thursday; Ill
for Several years

Friends and neighbors of Mahlon Blandin from all over Mitchell County gathered at the Orchard church Saturday afternoon for his funeral services, conducted by the Reverend Frank A. Court, of the Osage Methodist Church. Mr. Blandin died at his home near Orchard last Thursday, after a long illness.

Mahlon Blandin was born on December 27, 1859, near Racine, Wisconsin, to Mr. and Mrs. William T. Blandin.

When two years of age he came with his parents, several brothers and a sister, to Sheldon, Minnesota and to Iowa five years later, settling near New Haven, where he started his education, finishing at Riceville, where the family had moved after living ten years in New Haven community.

On May 29, 1886, Mr. Blandin was united in marriage to Minnie A. Ferguson, of Riceville, and to this union twelve children were born, five of who have preceded their father: An infant daughter; Stanley, Linton, Mrs. Belle Green and Mrs. Mabel Waters, the latter dying March 6, 1936, after only a brief illness.

Surviving besides his wife are six sons and a daughter: Chester R., of Des Moines; Vincent O. and Dudley K., at home; Harold M., of Mandan, N. D., Hollis James of Roscoe, California; Veva (Mrs. Howard Smalley) and Kenneth L., of Osage.

In the fall of 1887 Mr. Blandin moved from Riceville to Bailey where he was employed as buttermaker for twelve years. In the summer of 1895 he was baptized and joined the Methodist church in McIntire, and was Sunday school superintendent in both McIntire and Bailey for some time. In the summer of 1902 he spent 8 months on the road as a salesman for the Champion Harvester Company.

In March of 1904 he moved his family to Orchard, where he was employed as buttermaker eleven years.

On January 1, 1915, he moved his family to his farm three-fourths of a mile west of Orchard, where he resided at the time of his death at 8:30 a.m., April 9, 1936.

Because of poor health he was for several years unable to attend any public gatherings, but he was always cheerful and ready to laugh and jest with his relatives and friends. He failed rapidly during the last year, and for the past several weeks had hovered between life and death.

His long record as a good citizen of exemplary character is a living tribute to a useful life.

The relatives from away attending the funeral service were: Harold Blandin and daughter, Dorothy, of Mandan, M. D.; Chester Blandin and son, Don, of Des Moines; Mrs. Ole Sanstad, of Kenyon, Minnesota; Mr. and Mrs. Tilman Helm, Rockford; Mr. and Mrs. Charley Gallop, Mrs. Stergis Morphew, Mrs. John Keith, all of Nora Springs; Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kief, Charles City; Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Bishop and Merriett Bishop, Rudd; Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Kelley, Cedar Rapids; Mr. and Mrs. Mahlon Green and daughter, and Mrs. John Cambeck, of Atlantic, Iowa.

[Mitchell County Press, April 16, 1936]

(Transcribed by S. Bell)

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#3:

1925 Iowa Census: West Lincoln, Mitchell, Iowa:

M. M. Blandin, 65, born Wisconsin;(parents listed for him are Wm. Blandin and Sybeenoln** Knowlton --**her first name was Icybenda)

Minnie Blandin, wife, 58, born Iowa (parents listed for her are Robert Dudley and Lavona Childs); V. P. Blandin 32; D. K. Blandin 16; Kenneth Blandin 14.

(D. Scott)