Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....(Lyndon) Blanford, Louise February 15, 2005
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K T bluewolf@onemain.com February 24, 2005, 8:33 pm

The Bakersfield Californian 
Louise Blanford
Services: Fri., Feb. 25, 10 a.m.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Friday, February 25, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. 
at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church for Grace Louise Blanford, 95, 
who passed away February 15, 2005 in Bakersfield. Rev. Monsignor Mike Braun 
will be the celebrant and private interment will be at Union Cemetery. 

Louise, a resident of Bakersfield since 1949, was born July 12,1909 in 
Atchison, KS, the youngest daughter of Thomas C. and Grace M. Lyndon. She 
attended Mount St. Scholastic Academy for Grade and High School, she graduated 
from Mount St. Scholastica College (now known as Benedictine College) in 1929. 
She was also a graduate of their Conservatory of Music. Louise was a talented 
pianist and organist and music became a lifelong joy of which she always 
enjoyed sharing her knowledge.

In 1935, Louise began her newspaper career working on the Atchison Daily 
Globe, Ed Howes famous small town newspaper. In 1941, she moved to California 
to join the staff of The Daily News Tribune in Fullerton as Womans Editor. 
During World War II, she replaced a male colleague as Sports Editor rising to 
City Editor and then finally Managing Editor, becoming the first woman editor 
of a newspaper. On March 7, 1942 Louise married Andrew J. Jack Blanford, a 
Kern County Native and US Army Air Corps Bombardier at St. Joan of Arc 
Catholic Church in Las Vegas, NV. At the time Jack was stationed at the 
McCarren Gunnery School there. Jack would die in Bakersfield in 1989 just days 
before their 47th wedding anniversary.

In 1949 Jack and Louise returned to Bakersfield to make their home. Louise 
became a charter member of Mercy Hospital Auxiliary creating a strong public 
relations program for the group. Because of her deep concern for the hospital, 
damaged heavily during the earthquakes in the early 1950s, she was able to 
obtain considerable funds for needed equipment and extended care for 
terminally ill cancer patients.

In 1959 she joined the staff of the Kern County Library at the request of 
County Librarian, Eleanor Wilson. While there she wrote the history of the 
first 100 years of the library which received national attention. Louise 
retired from the library in 1974.

Louise is survived by two nieces, Pat Corning of Elmhurst, IL and Carol 
Luebering of Cincinnati, OH; nephew, Charles Pieper of Costa Mesa, CA; great-
nephews Thomas Corning of Wauconda, IL, Kevin Corning of Greenville, MI and 
Steve Luebering of Cincinnati; great-nieces, Anne Mohl of Woodbine, MD, Joan 
Luebering and Mary Sullivan both of Cincinnati; seven great-great nieces and 
nephews and an enormous family of friends.

Louises family and friends would like to thank Hoffman Hospice, especially 
Claudia, Kathleen and Elizabeth for their extraordinary love and care and the 
people at Laurel Springs, especially Sharon and Dorothy for their special care 
and kindness.

In lieu of flowers, Louise has requested that memorial contributions be made 
in her memory to Hoffman Hospice, The American Cancer Society or The Heart 
Association. No visitation is scheduled.

Doughty-Calhoun-OMeara

Funeral Directors 


Additional Comments:
Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased.

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