Pottawattamie County IA Archives Biographies.....Blanchard, John L. 1859 - 
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Debbie Clough Gerischer Bare67deb@aol.com July 3, 2005, 2:19 am

Author: A Narrative History of The People of Iowa

A Narrative History
of
The People of Iowa

JOHN L. BLANCHARD, judge of the Municipal; Court at Council Bluffs, in
charge of the civil, criminal and juvenile work, has had a distinguished career
both in the law and in the ministry.
He was born at Princeville in Peoria County, Illinois, December 21, 1859, a
son of John L. and Esther (Bliss) Blanchard. His grandfather, William P.
Blanchard, was born in Kentucky, in 1796, and moved to Illinois about 1830. He
left Kentucky because of his hatred of slavery, and he was an active
abolitionist until the slaves were freed. He was the son of a North Carolinian,
a planter and slave owner who moved to Kentucky. The Blanchard family is of
French Huguenot ancestry. Judge Blanchard's maternal grandfather, Henry Bliss,
was born in Western New York and moved to Illinois in 1835. He was a minister
of the Christian Church.

John L. Blanchard, the father of Judge Blanchard, was born near Louisville,
Kentucky, and spent his active life as a farmer in Illinois. He was a
Republican in politics, served as master of his lodge of Masons for twenty-five
years, and was interested in religion, although not a member of any church. His
wife was active as a Presbyterian and he attended and supported that
denomination. He and Esther Bliss were married in Illinois. Both had been
married before and each had two children. One son by the previous marriage,
William B. Blanchard, was a soldier in the Civil war. Esther Bliss was born in
Chautauqua County, New York, at Jamestown. By the second marriage of the parents
there were six children, three ow whom are now living: Maia L., of Hansford,
California, widow of Allen Wilson; John L.; and Horace M., a painting and paper
contractor at San Jose, California.

Judge John L. Blanchard was educated in Illinois and attended the Union
Christian College at Merom, Indiana, on the banks of the Wabash, and after
graduating studied law in the offices of James, Jack & Moore at Peoria, Illinois.
In 1882 he removed to Nodaway County in Northwestern Missouri, where he
practiced law five years. He turned from the law to the ministry of the
Congregational Church and alternated between the work of the two professions for
a number of years. He completed a four year course in theology, receiving a
degree and was also awarded the degree of D. D. by Tabor College of Iowa. His
last pastorate was a Congregational Church in Council Blufs. From 1896 for five
years he practiced law at Avoca, Iowa, then resumed the work of the
ministry. In 1918 he came to Council Bluffs, and after three years in the
ministry resumed law practice in 1921 with W. H. Kilpack for two years. After
that he carried on a practice alone until appointed judge of the Municipal
Court, and now gives his entire attention to the duties of this office. He was
elected judge in 1926, and reelected again in 1930 for a four year term.

Judge Blanchard married in 1882 Byrd Battell, who was born in Missouri and
was reared and educated in that state. She died in 1904, and of the three
children of their marriage the only one living is Arnold C. Blanchard. The son's
active experience has been chiefly in the field of banking and he is now
connected with the Iowa state banking department. He married in 1905 Nelle M.
Thompson, who was born at Rock Rapids, Iowa, and was educated there and in the
Teachers College at Cedar Falls. Judge Blanchard is a York Rite Mason and
a Republican in politics.


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