Blanche (Davies) BARDWELL

DAVIES, BARDWELL, HOLADAY, MOELLER, FIBIKAR, GUE, HITES

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/30/2006 at 12:00:37

Blanche Beatrice Bardwell, 95, of Clarion, passed away Wednesday, August 31, 2005 at the Wright Medical Center in Clarion. Funeral services were held on Saturday, September 3rd at the Ewing Dugger Helgeson Funeral Home in Clarion. The 1:30 p.m. service was conducted by Pastor Patrick Odle.

Blanche Beatrice Davies was born October 16, 1909 in Montezuma, Indiana, the daughter of Chester and Orpha (Holaday) Davies. At the age of 15 the family moved to Belmond. On August 12, 1928 Blanche was united in marriage to Leo Bardwell. She was a hard working farm wife and mother of five children. Upon leaving the farm in 1965 she worked as a cook in numerous county facilities. She spent five years working with her son, Leo, in Connecticut and then returned to Clarion. In 1958, Blanche lost her youngest son, Otis, in the Armed Services and her oldest son, Emery, in 1960 due to complications of diabetes. After losing her husband to cancer in 1977, she went to work as a cook at the Clarion Care Center. She worked at the care center until health problems forced her to retire. Blanche enjoyed traveling and was called "Traveling Granny" by her family. She lived at the Southtown Apartments before entering the USA Health Care Center where she resided for nine years.

Blanche is survived by one son, Leon Bardwell and wife, Barbara of Tariffville, Connecticut; two daughters, Maxine Moeller and husband, Howard of Walcott and Evelyn Fibikar of Clarion; 15 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; one brother, George Davies and wife, Gene of Lafayette, Indiana; one sister, Bertha Gue of San Diego, California; one half-brother, John Hites of Portland, Oregon; and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her husband; two sons, Otis and Emery; four brothers, Charles, Clarence, Roy and Chester Davies; and one grandson, Roy Fibikar.

September 15, 2005
© Wright County Monitor 2005