Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, August 25, 2011

Leroy BLESSMAN, 87, passed away on August 21, 2011 of cancer. The funeral service was held on Tuesday, August 23, at the Mount Ayr United Methodist Church with burial at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr, under the direction of the Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home.

Leroy was born February 3, 1924 to John and Grace BLESSMAN on their farm in Union county and later moved to Clearfield where he graduated high school. He married Betty Jo STAMPER of Mount Ayr in 1943. They were blessed with two children, Dr. James BLESSMAN of Polk City, Iowa and Susan LaPOUR of Blue Springs, Missouri.

Leroy began working at Iowa Southern Utilities in 1946 in Clearfield and then transferred to Mount Ayr in 1968 where he continued to work for the same company until he retired in 1989.

He was an active member of his community and his church, Mount Ayr United Methodist. He was a member of the Lions Club and Masonic Lodge for over 50 years, the Chamber of Commerce and the Mount Ayr Golf and Country Club.

He servedon the Ringgold County Development board, the local bank board, the Heritage Housing board, and the Ringgold County Sportsman Club board. He was installed into the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame in 1991.

He will be greatly missed by his wife, Betty, of 67 years; his children, Jim (Beth) and Sue (Tom); his grandchildren, Christy (Dave) CALDWELL, Dustin (Rene) BLESSMAN, Kelsey BLESSMAN, Steve (Jane) LaPOUR and Laurie (Steve) BETTLACH; his great-grandchildren, AJ, Zach and Olivia CALDWELL, Hannah, Aubrey and Tommy LaPOUR and Allison, Sam and Katlyn BETTLACH; his sister, Lois WURSTER of Clearfield, Iowa; his sister-in-law, Esther BLESSMAN of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and many more family and friends.

Leroy was preceded in death by his parents and brother Wayne.

Memorial contributions may be designated to BLESSMAN Ministries and will be used to build the Leroy BLESSMAN Lodge in South Africa where short-term missionaries will live while serving the orphans of that country.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2011

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