Obit of Bland, Richard - Osage County, Oklahoma

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Copyright, http://www.bakersfield.com/                        28 Sep 2008
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::Cremation 

Richard Bland

Services: Thurs., Nov. 20, 2 p.m.

Richard Bland, a longtime resident of Buttonwillow, died in Madras, 
Oregon, on October 4, 2003. Years of heart problems took their toll 
and at age 70, his heart gave out. Richard was born in Burbank, 
Oklahoma, in 1933. He joined the Army when his last living parent 
died. He was too young, but the Rights of Minority had been put on 
him (legally, he was 21) and the Army accepted him. He was assigned 
to the 273rd Armored Division as a spotter for artillery gunners in 
Korea. He made rank of Sergeant, was wounded by machine gun bullets 
in his shoulder. 

He came to the Bakersfield area, married Effie Barham, and stayed in 
the area 30 years. He worked in Oil fields, for General Production, a 
diesel mechanic, he worked on heavy equipment. He ran Richards Road 
Service from the Grapevine to Kettleman City for awhile. He 
contracted to the Cactus Gold Mine, Tehachapi as a welder and 
mechanic. Effie died in 1994. In 1996, he met and married Virginia 
Geddes R.N., an alumnus of CSUB. They moved to Madras Oregon in 1998 
so she could recover from her Valley Fever infection.

He was President of the Buttonwillow Prop Twisters R/C Airplane Club. 
He built and flew the radio-controlled model airplanes for 30 years. 
He loved to make them loop and roll in the air. It was his main 
interest and hobby after his heart attack and he could no longer 
work.

He is survived by his 2 sisters, Vera Camargo of Pawhuska, OK and 
Freda Stocks of Greenville, NC; his wife, Virginia Geddes Bland; 6 
stepsons: Jack, Richard and Wayne Barham; Chris, Tim and Bill Geddes 
of Bakersfield; and many grand-children, nieces and nephews.

His wish was for cremation: Scatter my ashes to the winds to help the 
flowers grow, if you must bury something, bury my faults and 
mistakes; give my sins to the devil, my soul to God and if by chance 
you wish to remember me, do it with a good deed for someone in need . 
These words were his choice for an Epitaph.

A memorial service for his family and friends of the Bakersfield area 
will be held at St. Marks Episcopal Church, 295 Beech St., Shafter, 
Thursday, November 20, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. 
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