BLADON, Doyle Gene

The Verde Independent, Cottonwood, AZ July 07, 2006 Doyle G. Bladon Former Sedona dentist Doyle Gene Bladon died June 4, 2006. He was born in Clearfield, Iowa, on July 17, 1926, and attended local schools through high school. After attending the University of Nebraska for a year, he returned to Clearfield to help on the family farm. He later graduated from Beck's School of Radio in St. Paul, Minn., working as an announcer in Creston, Iowa, and then in Shenandoah, Iowa. While at Shenandoah a husband and wife talent team asked if they could bring their boys to sing on the station ‹ the first time the Everly Brothers sang on the air. Doyle moved to Lincoln, Neb., and became the first weatherman for the new TV station, KFOR. While there he met and married Helen Troy Martin, a dance instructor for the U of Neb. He went back to college part time, then full time and graduated from the University of Iowa with a BS in chemistry and four years later with a DDS degree. He moved to Sedona and was the first full time dentist. In addition to his work, he was active in the Sedona Rotary Club, the Coconino Posse Riding Club, charter member of the Sedona Elks Lodge and an early Master of the Sedona Masonic Lodge. He also helped teach leather craft to the local 4H Club and was the very first Sedonan to be elected to the Flagstaff School Board. In 1971 when his children began high school, he moved to Phoenix to be nearer to their school ‹ there was no high school in Sedona, and their children would have had to attend school in Flagstaff. While there he completed a five-year course and exams to become an ordained permanent deacon of the Episcopal Church. In 1984 he retired to Monticello, Ark., (Helen's hometown), but maintained a cabin on Oak Creek. In 2000 they moved to Bella Vista, Ark. Doyle is survived by his wife of 54 years, Helen Troy Martin Bladon of Bella Vista, Ark.; his son Jeffrey Doyle Bladon of Houston; daughter Lori Lee Bladon Jackson (Steve); a sister, Martha Hammond (Richard) of Diagonal, Iowa; brothers, LaVern (Rene) of Bella Vista, Ark.; and Frank (Ginger) of Lutz, Fla.; and three grandchildren. A celebration of Doyle's live was conducted in Bella Vista, Ark. In his memory donations are being accepted by the Salvation Army in his memory.