Funeral service for Arlee M. Blankenship, 91, of Decatur will be Saturday, July 30, 2016 at 2 p.m. at Shoal Creek Baptist Church with Rev. Chuck Bass officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing. Burial will be in Shoal Creek Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. at the church.
Mr. Blankenship died on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 at Decatur Morgan Hospital. He was born Dec. 12, 1924, in Morgan County to Hubert Morris Blankenship and Bessie Mae Bulah Floyd Blankenship.
Mr. Blankenship was a member of Shoal Creek Baptist Church. He retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel, Master Navigator. He was a veteran of World War II, The Korean Conflict, The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. He also retired from Computer Sciences Company/Redstone Arsenal Civil Service, where he worked as a chief electrical technician. He loved genealogy and working on the history of Shoal Creek Cemetery. He was preceded in death by his wives, Janie Euline Blankenship and Marveline Holloway Blankenship; two sons, Stuart and Timothy Blankenship; one daughter, Wanda VanKoughnett and two brothers, Theron and Hillman Blankenship.
Survivors include one son-in-law, Lee VanKoughnett, Hartselle; two sisters, Elizabeth Lanelle Childers and Linda Gail Miller (Johnny), both of Priceville; three grandchildren, Jonathan VanKoughnett (Brenda), David VanKoughnett (Niki) and Benjamin VanKoughnett (Chrissy); eight great- grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be family and friends.
