BLANTON, Charles F.

The Arizona Republic March 29, 2001 Charles F. Blanton, former Prescott assistant post master, died on March 16, 2001. He was 93. One of six children born to Prescott pioneers, Benjamin & Martha (Mattie) Blanton, Charlie worked at the local post office until his retirement in June, 1973. Widowed when Charlie was six years old, Mattie Blanton earned a living with two cows she owned. Charlie would sell milk going door-to-door through town. Later he helped build the older of the two Goldwater Lake dams. During WWII, Army Tech Sgt. Blanton was stationed in London. There, while attending a performance of Hamlet, he met Elsie Dansey a Defense worker. They were married five months later. Following VE Day, Elsie sailed across the Atlantic Ocean on the Queen Mary, along with hundreds of other war brides, and joined Charlie in Prescott where they lived their entire lives together. Charlie and Elsie celebrated their 55th anniversary last October. Charlie was affiliated with St. Luke's Episcopal Church for 51 years, at times serving as a member of the Vestry. He helped refurbish the cabins at Chapel Rock Church Camp, and headed the coffee-making and kitchen clean-up crew at many church functions. A Celebration of Life service was held at the church's new sanctuary north of the airport on Highway 69 on March 31, 2001. His remains were placed in the Memorial Wall adjacent to the church. In addition to his wife, Charlie is survived by daughters Ann Abrams of Mission Viejo, CA and Margi Jacobson of Phoenix; grandchildren Janet and David Abrams and Traci & Kevin Jacobsen. An adopted sister Joan Vallely lives in Prescott. He is preceded in death by each of his brothers, Tom, Bill and Earl, and sisters Ruth Martin and Mary Molner.