Murry Blankenship, long-time owner, editor and publisher of the Okolona Messenger, died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at his residence in Okolona after a brief illness.
He was the son of the late Murry Hunter Blankenship and Mary Evelyn Landin Blankenship of West Point, where he was born and reared. He was a graduate of West Point High School and Mississippi State University.
He was a charter member of the Okolona Jaycees and Okolona Lions Clubs and served on the boards of Baby Steps and Okolona Area Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of Okolona First Baptist Church.
Prior to purchasing the Okolona Messenger, he was in retail, beginning his career at Woolworth stores in Albany and Atlanta, Georgia, as manager and as an area Supervisor of Bill’s Dollar Stores. He was selected as 1996 Okolona Citizen of the Year and presented the NCNW Communication Award. The Okolona Area Chamber of Commerce awarded him the Main Street Award in 2009, Business of the Year in 2012 and Public Service Award in 2015.
The Okolona Fire Department awarded him the Support Award, and the 288th Sapper Company presented him a flag flown over Sapper headquarters in Afghanistan on August 23, 2012. He was the recipient of the Mississippi Press Award for his picture and coverage of the May 2011 tornado that struck Okolona and the surrounding area..
He enjoyed hunting, fishing, cooking, constructing and planning building projects, Okolona Chieftain football and baseball games, Mississippi State football games, attending Okolona City Council meetings and covering local events for the newspaper. His greatest interests and pleasure were his children and grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Suzannah Criswell Blankenship; his three children, Murry Blankenship, Jr., (Dawn) of Saltillo; Leigh Hunter Blankenship Pettit (Chris) of New Albany; John Blankenship of Okolona; four grandchildren, Sara Katherine Blankenship, Hannah Claire Blankenship and Murry Hunter Blankenship, all of Saltillo; John Russell Blankenship of Okolona; two sisters, Peggy Blankenship Spell of West Point and Dot Blankenship Long of Pearl.
Services were held Monday, May 2, 2016, from Okolona First Baptist Church, preceded by visitation at the church Sunday afternoon. Burial followed in Asbury Cemetery. Holland Funeral Directors were in charge of the arrangements.
Pallbearers were Judge John A. Gregory, Murry Hunter Blankenship, John Russell Blankenship, Jim Rose, Dean Stevens, Ashley Stevens, Bobby Spell, Gilbert A. Wise and Robbie Earnest.
Honorary pallbearers were Judge Kenneth M. Burns, Dr. Julian Hill, Dr. Kevin C. Harbour, Gerry Morgan, Clint Norwood, Cliff Norwood, Terry Tucker, Dwight Parker, Tommie Ivy, Clarence McGee, Bobby Gardner, Michael Fowler, Keith Roberson, Jerry Wayne Williams, Tim Posey, Ken Eubank, Perry Grubbs, Joe Gillespie.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
