Mary Ellen Blankenship

Mary Ellen was a sister, wife, mother, grandmother, homemaker, and seamstress who gave all she had to each role she carried in this life. She provided a warm and loving home for her family and ensured there was never a shortage of love, smiles and hugs for all her “babies”.

She loved God , her family and friends, spreading immeasurable joy to all who had the pleasure of being near her. She spent most of her life in the Camp Creek community and resided at Plaza Towers for the 10 years prior to her stroke in April 2010. While living at the Towers, she made many very special friends. She was a member of Union Chapel Free Will Baptist Church and dearly loved her pastor and church family.

Despite her illness, she continued to be content with her new circumstances. She always wore a beautiful smile and even though she couldn’t speak, she became good at communicating with those around her with amazing patience.

Her children and grandchildren knew they were a treasure to her and she would never get enough of just being with them. Even in the darkest hours, the radiance of her smile warmed their hearts. That light will shine continually through the generations, although not nearly so brightly without her leading the way. Her passing has saddened us all, but we will meet again in the great reunion with our Lord, family, and friends who have gone before.

Survivors include four daughters and three sons-in-law: Joan and Kyle Harris, Gayle and Fay Lynn Ricker, all of Greeneville; Karen Loeser of Sarasota, FL; Elizabeth and Bob Johnson of Hendersonville, NC; nine grandchildren: Jeff Harris of Chuckey, Melody Ricker, Cristal Harris, Bethany Ricker, all of Greeneville; Jennifer Blalock of South Carolina, Jesse Willis, Joseph Loeser, Sarah Loeser, all of Sarasota, FL, Bryson Ricker of Limestone; 11 great grandchildren: Jeffrey Harris, Jordan Harris, Allison Harris, Hannah Craig, Jackie Dean, Kayla Ricker, Julius Gross, Emily Sheppard, Austin Sheppard, Mariah Scruggs, and Grant Ricker; one great great granddaughter: Addison Norton; one brother and sister-in-law: Harold and Wilma Ricker; one sister: Lois Jean Metcalf; a brother-in-law: Claude Griffin; sisters-in-law: Wanda Mullins of Morristown, Ruth Ricker, Lois Ricker, of Greeneville, and Pat Ricker.

She was the daughter of the late Cyrus and Nellie Tarlton Ricker and was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Garfield Blankenship; one son, Charles Blankenship; a granddaughter, Patti Craig; five brothers, Oliver Dean Ricker, Wallace Ricker, Wilmer Ricker, Raymond Ricker and Lyndon Ricker; a brother-in-law, Roy Metcalf.

The funeral service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 19, 2011, in the Kiser-Rose Hill Chapel. Rev. Lynn Neas, Rev. Fay Lynn Ricker, Rev. Lynn Mercer, and Rev. Ray Shelton will officiate. Interment will follow at Harris Memorial Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Anthony Ricker, Curtis Lamons, David Lamons, Bryson Ricker, Jeff Harris, Jordan Harris, Marty Ricker, Julius Gross, and Larry Ricker.

The family wishes to extend a “special thanks” to her friends at Plaza Towers, the staff of Amedysis Home Health Care, and her beloved friends at Union Chapel FWB Church.

The family will receive friends 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Saturday at Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to the Memorial and Honor Program, St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942.