Jean Patricia Blanton

March 17, 1921-March 20 2015

Jean Patricia “Patty” (Hatfield) Blanton, age 94, of 3900 Country Club Drive, Meridian, Mississippi, passed away on Friday, March 20, 2015 at Bedford Care Center of Marion, Mississippi. A descendant of several old Indiana pioneer families (Hatfield, Harter, Milliken, Holmes, Dafforn and Swartzwalter), she was born on Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1921, in Ossian, Wells County, Indiana. She was the daughter of the late Halden Lewis Hatfield and Lena R. Holmes and was a graduate of the Ossian High School, Class of 1939.

On March 10, 1943, she was married to Richard Lewis Blanton, Sr. at the Lake Charles Army Air Base, Louisiana prior to his deployment to the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II. Before and during his deployment overseas, she was employed with General Electric in nearby Fort Wayne, Ind. and was a member of the Psi Iota Xi Chapter in Ossian. Following his return home in 1945, three children resulted from this union: Patricia Louise Blanton, 1946; Carol Lynne Blanton, 1948 and Richard Lewis Blanton, Jr., 1955.

The family subsequently lived in Rochester, New York; South Bend, Indiana; Indianapolis, Indiana and Memphis, Tennessee before settling in Meridian, Mississippi in 1953. She was also a continuous member of the First Presbyterian Church of Meridian.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 41 years, Richard Lewis Blanton, Sr. on May 5, 1984; a brother, Rex Wendell Hatfield on July 10, 1995; and a daughter Patricia Louise (Blanton) Walters on January 28, 1970.

She is survived by one daughter, Carol Lynne (Blanton) Aguilar and her husband, Michael J. Aguilar, Brigadier General, USMC, Retired, of San Diego, California; a son Richard Lewis Blanton, Jr., Major, USAF, Retired, of Madison, Alabama; a second son-in-law, Lee Edward {Wally} Walters, of Verbana, Alabama; two grandsons, Richard Lee “Rusty” {Mary} Walters, of Birmingham, Alabama and Marc Edward {Jessica} Walters, of Memphis, Tennessee; one granddaughter, Lani Kimberli “Thumper” (James) Moyle, of Pelham, New York; three great-grandsons, Caleb Walters and Luke Preston Walters, of Memphis, Tennessee and Jacob Theodore Walters, of Birmingham, Alabama; two great-granddaughters, Carolyn Milliken Moyle, of Pelham, New York and Nicole Marie Walters, of Birmingham, Alabama; sister-in-law, Carol Lynne (Thrasher) Hatfield, of Union City, Michigan; two nephews, Stuart Baird {Melissa} Hatfield), of Churubusco, Indiana, and Craig Evan {Patty} Hatfield), of Goldvien, Virginia, and one niece, Tara Lynne (Hatfield) {Patrick} Angle, of Columbus, Indiana.

Stephen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements in Meridian, Mississippi. There is no service scheduled for Meridian. Elzey-Patterson-Rodak Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements in Ossian, Indiana. Burial will be on in the Oak Lawn Cemetery, Ossian, Indiana.