Barbara A (Dearmond) Blalock

Jan 4, 1926 – Dec 7, 2015

Barbara was born Jan 4, 1926 in San Antonio Texas to George and Marguerite DeArmond. Barbara was the youngest of 4 children, 3 girls and a boy. Both sisters died young - one during her birth and the other at ~ 16 months due to a mastoid rupturing in her ear. So Barbara grew up with one older brother (Bill). Being the daughter of an Army officer, she lived in many different places including Vermont, Massachusetts and Texas. Her father George retired from the army in 1943 and at the time was the most senior Colonel in the Army. He retired to San Antonio Texas, which is where Barbara considerd her childhood home to be. Quite a bright young lady, Barbara entered TCU (Texas Christian University) at the tender age of 16. She later transferred to the University of Texas where she graduated at the age of 20 with a degree in English and a minor in French (in which she was fluent). Growing up in the home of an English major was interesting and challenging. In a most loving and caring fashion, we were not allowed to be ignorant or to speak or write improperly. By the time we entered school, we appreciated the foundation Mom had given us as there was not much else to learn in school regarding the use of the English language – we already knew how to speak and write grammatically and with specificity, and knew how to read discriminately.

Barbara met her future husband Woody in 1947, and at first rebuffed his offer of marriage. Her mother had recently died, and she wanted to stay home and care for her father. She reconsidered more than 6 months later, but had a problem in that Woody (an officer in the Air Force) had been assigned to a station in Germany. In those days, you had to schedule a transatlantic phone call. You also needed to know where to call. So Barbara scheduled a call, and when it was time, took a “shot in the dark” and asked the operator to call the officer’s club in Wiesbaden Germany. The operator asked her which one - - apparently there were 2. Barbara had the operator pick one at random and make the phone call. As luck would have it (or more likely God’s providence), Woody happened to be walking through the club at that exact moment and took the call. It is all the more extraordinary since Woody had been reassigned again and was no longer stationed in Germany – he was stationed in England. He just “happened” to be traveling through on one of his temporary duty assignments. Anyhow, the proposal was renewed and accepted. Barbara sailed to England on the Queen Mary (the original one) and was married Feb 19, 1949. Barbara and Woody were married 62 years until separated by Woody’s death in Oct, 2011. They had 3 children (Betty, Christine, and Michael), 8 grandchildren (Elizabeth, Todd, Gretchen, Aaron, Tavis, Andrew, Benjamin, and Thomas), and 2 great-grandchildren (Amber and Caleb)

Barbara lived a full and complete life having lived in more than a dozen states, and having visited all 50. Additionally she and Woody traveled close to a million miles visiting 2 – 3 dozen countries in North and South America, Australia, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, and Russia. Included in her travels are the following:

• Germany – where she snapped a picture of her kids striding the muzzle of a burned out tank left where it lay from WWII.

• Egypt – where she saw the pyramids and rode on camels

• Israel – where she climbed Mt Masada

• Turkey – where she sang hymns in the same church as established by the 1st century Christians

• Moscow, USSR – where she handed out bibles in Red Square

• Australia – where she made Woody hold the tail of a kangaroo so she could snap a picture

There are too many places and experiences to list, but suffice to say Barbara was well traveled and well read.

Barbara and Woody’s final move was to Oklahoma City in 2004. Barbara entered eternity Dec 7, 2015, and was preceded in death by Woody 4 years previous. Both Barbara and Woody were devout Christians and loved Christ. We can all rejoice to know that as fellow Christians, we will see them again. God said so.

“In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14: 2-3

Good bye for now Mom.