Blanche Ooten 1929-2008

OOTEN, BIRK, JONES

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 2/25/2009 at 22:17:18

Sioux City Journal
20 November 2008

ONAWA, Iowa -- Blanche "Blondie" Ooten, 79, formerly of Onawa, died Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008 at Oakland Heights Nursing Home, Oakland, Neb.

Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Rush Family Chapel, Onawa with the Rev. Arley Ellingson officiating. Private family burial will be at a later date. There will be no visitation.

Blanche was born Oct. 31, 1929 at Smithland, Iowa, the daughter of Gerald Henry and Flossie (Birk) Jones. She was raised at Smithland and attended school there where she was a member of the basketball team. Blanche and LaVerne "Bat" Ooten were united in marriage Dec. 15, 1946. The couple made their home in Onawa where they raised their three children. Bat died Feb. 21, 2002 in Omaha, Neb.

Blanche was a member of the United Methodist Church in Onawa. She was a very caring person and was always there to help the aging. She enjoyed crafts, quilting, cards and especially socializing with her friends and neighbors.

Survivors include two sons and their wives, Robert and Cheryl of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Larry and Arcelia of Victoria, Texas; a daughter and her husband, Virginia and Larry Kahlandt of Tekamah, Neb.; six grandchildren and their spouses, Norma and Don Morris, Deya and Jim Morgan, Kati and Craig Parker, Arcelia and James Palmer, Erica and Daniel Biedieger and Kevin Kahlandt; nine great-grandchildren, Alexandria and Ana Morris, Joshua, Benjamin and Rebecca Morgan, Joshua and Claire Parker and Isaac and Linus Palmer; and a sister and her husband, Gladys and Harold Castle of Tabor, S.D.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Elvina Smith and a brother, Casey Jones.

Memorials may be directed to the family for use in a community scholarship program.