BLAKEMORE OBITUARIES, Henry County, Missouri ==================================================================== BLAKEMORE, George H. 1832 - 1902 Clinton MO, Apr 1902 - A writer of antiquity allotted to the life of a good man the span of three score years and ten. George H. Blakemore was born July 22, 1832 and ended his career here and was called to his reward in the beautiful and everlasting hereafter April 13, 1902 at 11 p.m., thus lacking only a few weeks of staying the prophetic time to bless humanity. He was the pioneer businessman of Clinton and probably of the county, having first engaged in business in Clinton in 1859 and with the exception of 1862 to 1866 his time was devoted to his chosen line, that of hardware and implements. Never a man of demonstrations, yet he had convictions and clung to them with tenacity. His temperament was equable and he lived at peace with all men. On Jan. 15, 1861, he married Miss M. F. Ragland and as the years passed by, the union grew stronger and sweeter. Three children blessed their union: Mrs. Ollie Gracey, who preceded her father to the bright beyond a little more than three years ago; James N., his partner in business, and Mrs. W. M. Godwin. Disease attacked him in August, 1901. In December, in quest of his health, he with his faithful wife, went to Rockport, Texas, but God had claimed him for His own. He returned on the 5th, happy to meet his loved ones, but his evening's sun was sinking and his mortal remains were laid away in Englewood. Nearly every citizen of Henry County had become acquainted with him and wherever he was known, his name was a synonym for honesty, integrity and moral worth. He was always a Southern Methodist, which church he lived and served next to his family and God, but he was always generous toward all other denominations. When the building of a meeting house for the M.E.C.S. was underway, he, as chairman of the building committee, probably did more than any other one man to bring the undertaking to a successful close and the building at the corner of Third and Franklin stands as a monument to his determination. BLAKEMORE, James Nathaniel 1862 - 1936 Clinton MO, Feb 1936 - James N. Blakemore Dead - J. N. Blakemore, one of the old residents of Clinton and Henry County, died suddenly at his home on East Green street Tuesday evening. He had not been feeling well all day but had been downstairs as usual and retired at 7:00 as was his custom. At 7:30, his daughter, Miss George, hearing a slight noise, called to her father, but getting no response, went to him to find that the life thread had been cut and the beloved father had slipped into Eternal sleep. James Nathaniel Blakemore, son of George H. Blakemore and Frances Ragland Blakemore, was born January 13, 1862, on the old Ragland farm, four miles northeast of Clinton. Here his parents had made their home before the war between the states and the old residence is still standing. He had two sisters, Ollie, who became Mrs. Gracey, now deceased, and Audrey, who is now Mrs. W. M. Godwin, South Third street. Mr. Blakemore, as a boy, attended Clinton's private and public schools, completing his education at the college at Fayette and as a lad of 19 years he professed his faith, becoming a member of the Christian church. His schooling completed, he came back to Clinton where he went into his father's implement business and in 1902, at the death of his father, became sole owner of the firm which was then on the south side of the square, on the corner on the east side of Center street. Mr. Blakemore and Ida E. Ferguson were married April 29, 1885, establishing their new home on West Jefferson street. To their union were born three daughters, Mrs. Marie Byler of East Green street; Miss George of the home; Helen, deceased October 13, 1922, and three sons, James, Roland and Robert, also of the home. Mr. Blakemore was a charter member of the Uniform Rank of Knights of Pythias, Lily Division, Benevolent Order of Elks and both Woodmen lodges. He served as alderman two terms and was elected county recorder in 1902 with John Hart as his deputy. As a young man he took an active part in all political affairs of the town and watched with interest the advancement and growth of Clinton. Twenty years ago Mr. Blakemore moved with his family to their present home at 601 East Green street, where Mrs. Blakemore who survives her husband made a beautiful and quiet home for her family. Mr. Blakemore was a lover of the outdoors and nature, a man of simple tastes who enjoyed his friends to the fullest, for he was social by nature. What he promised he performed and was never known to fail a friend. He retired from business many years ago and as years advanced he lead a quiet, simple life, surrounded by his loving wife and children, who devotedly administered to all his known needs. The funeral will be conducted by Arthur Lee at 2 p.m. Thursday at the home on East Green street. He was borne to his resting place in Englewood by Clay Adair, R. L. Covington, J. W. Gutridge, Arthur Lee, Wade Wilson, Jim Parks and Charles H. Whitaker Jr. BLAKEMORE, Malinda Frances RAGLAND 1844 - 1929 Seventy-five years a resident of Clinton, seventy-one years a faithful, active, consecrated member of the Christian church. That is a part of the record of Mrs. Malinda Frances Blakemore. She was born Malinda Frances Ragland in Paris, Monroe county, Missouri, February 9, 1844. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Madison Ragland, who in 1832, with a brother, William Taliaferro Ragland, came from Winchester, Kentucky, and settled first at Fayette, Mo. In 1834 they moved to Monroe county. William T. Ragland remained and reared his family there; one son, William T. Ragland, Jr., now a member of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Nathaniel removed to Cooper county in 1847, and during the Christmas week of 1854, he came to Clinton, where the daughter, Malinda Frances had ever since resided with the exception of a few years when the family lived on the farm two miles north of Clinton on Highway 13, where Mr. Riffel now lives. But even then Clinton was her home, as she attended school, Sunday School and church in Clinton. During a meeting conducted by Rev. Henry J. Speed, of Osceola, in 1858, she was converted and joined the Christian church at the tender age of fourteen. She sacredly kept the faith all these seventy-one years and changed her membership only when on October 12th, 1929, she was promoted from the church militant to the church triumphant. According to the records searched and the memory of her brother Rev. N. M. Ragland, of Fayetteville, Ark., there is no person now living in Clinton or elsewhere who lived here when her father came here in 1854. The next year Judge J. G. Dorman came, and his four sons and one daughter, who were born here, now live in Clinton. After Malinda Frances Ragland had completed the courses taught in the schools, she entered the academy then conducted by Prof. James M. Byler, a brother of the late David L. Byler. Prof. Byler was assisted in the academy by his sister, Miss Pauline and Miss Emma Shumway, who afterwards married Prof. Byler and moved with him to Georgetown, Missouri, where they both died. On January 15th, 1861, she was married to Geo. H. Blakemore who had come to Missouri from Harrisburg, Va. Of this union, one son, James N., and two daughters, Olive, who married E. A. Gracey; and Jean Audree, now Mrs. W. M. Godwin, were born. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Blakemore was always a community home. They were always happiest when surrounded in their home by relatives and friends. They never had guests. All comers were home folks. Even mendicants never went away empty. Of the immediate family Mrs. Gracey was the first to be called to that Better Land in 1899. Three years later the Master said to Mr. Blakemore: "It is enough, come up higher." The widow was left with two of her grandchildren, Wayman and Fannie Gracey, in her home. In 1917, Wayman married and made his own home and Fannie remained with her grandmother. Nearly seven years ago a slight stroke of apoplexy came to Mrs. Blakemore, since which time she had been the constant care of her granddaughter, Fannie Gracey, and her daughter, Mrs. Godwin, in whose home she spent her winters subsequent to that first attack. In all those years no word of complaint nor look of dissatisfaction came from her. In fact, in more than forty years of daily, intimate acquaintance with her, no word of disparagement of any other person and no intimation of vexation ever came from her. If there be human perfection, she was its personification. More than a year ago the attacking malady had made such inroads on her strength that she became helpless, but willing hands of daughter and granddaughter rendered loving service. The best of medical attendance, aided by the services of a trained nurse could not stay the onward march of age and devastation of disease; keeping up what they knew was a losing warfare they faltered not. The daily ministrations of friends helped them to keep up their courage. It had been so hard to look up into the Father's face and say, "Thy will be done." At 3:30, Saturday afternoon, the 12th, He said, "Daughter, I have need of thee," and the sweetest of spirits went to join those whose "robes had been made white in the blood of the Lamb." The floral offerings of friends were nature's choicest products and greatly appreciated by the family, but none were rich enough to symbolize the beautiful character of the deceased. Funeral services were conducted at the Christian church by Rev. A. N. Lindsey, assisted by Rev. J. M. Shockley, of the M. E. Church South, at 3 p.m., Tuesday, October 15. Interment at Englewood. The pallbearers were: J. L. Goss, Eugene Brandenburg, C. J. Keil, Arthur Lee, John Lorenz and Ray Dooley. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. 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