Eula F. Blanding

Eula passed away June 29, 2015 at Midland Care Hospice. She was born December 14, 1921 to William and Martha Adams on the family farm near Barnard, Kansas. She was the 16th child of 17 children born to Will and Martha Adams. Eula attended grade school at 3rd Creek country school near Barnard. She graduated from High School in Barnard in 1940. After High School, Eula worked in homes, at a grocery store and every other week as a telephone operator at night. While her boyfriend, Robert Blanding, was stationed in the Pacific during World War II, Eula and a friend moved to Wichita, Ks to find work. They both went to work at the Beechcraft Airplane factory on the assembly line installing parts on the Beechcraft airplane. She was one of the original "Rosie the Riveters".
When the war ended, Eula moved home to Barnard to help her parents prepare for their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Robert (Bob) returned home from the war in October of 1945 and they married on January 1, 1946. Two children were born to this union. Roberta Blanding Burgess and Ronald Blanding.
Bob and Eula farmed south of Beloit until 1966. They moved to Beloit where they both found work. Eula belonged to the Order of the Eastern Star and was a 60 year member of the YMM(Young Minerva Maidens)Club, a group of neighbor ladies. Eula worked at McDonald's Department store as a bookkeeper. In 1975 she started working in the court system in Mitchell County for Opal Giddings and graduated to being the Clerk of the District Court until her retirement in 1986.
After retirement Bob and Eula traveled to several states, played cards and coffeed regularly with friends until their health required them to move closer to their son in Salina, Ks.
Eula is survived by her children, Roberta Burgess and husband John, and Ronald Blanding and wife Melody; 7 grand children, Greg Burgess and wife Michelle, Ty Burgess and wife Yvonne, Becky Turner and husband Jeff, and Amy Norris and husband Greg, Caleb Blackburn and wife Shannon, Valerie Chandler and husband Curtis and Alex Blanding. From these unions there are 15 Great grandchildren, Haley, Ethan, Coley, Brandon, Addison and Sam Burgess, Lane and Cody Turner, Chance, Maddison and Chelsea Blackburn, and Caisen, Cade, Cale and Cannon Chandler. She is also survived by a host of nieces , nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and so on - too numerous to mention.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Will and Martha Adams; 10 sisters, Oma, Ona, Cona, Mary, Minnie, Wilma, Bertha, Viola, Zepha, and Imojean; 6 brothers, Clinton, Herman, Kater, Walter, Elmer and Dewey. She was also preceded in death by several nieces and nephews and a great granddaughter, Emily Ann Burgess.

Funeral services will be at 2 PM Thursday, July 2 at McDonald Funeral Home followed by burial in Milo Cemetery near Barnard. Visitation will be from 1-8 PM Wednesday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Midland Care Hospice. Following the burial services, the family would like to invite everyone to join them at the Community Building in Barnard.