Dates
Malava Ann Besedich Blanton, 91, passed away on April 10, 2015 in San Angelo surrounded by her family.
The family will receive friends from 4:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M., Sunday, April 12, 2015 at Johnson's Funeral Home. The Funeral Service will be 2:00 P.M., Monday, April 13, 2015 at Sierra Vista United Methodist Church with Rev. Tamara Strehli officiating. The Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Ozona, Tx.
A coal miner's daughter, Malava Ann Besedich Blanton was born on January 1, 1924, in Mononga, West
Virginia to Joseph and Katie Besedich. One of ten children, she grew up in Farmington, West Virginia in the Consolidation Coal Company #9 mining camp where her father worked as a coal miner. After graduating from Farmington High School, she moved to Baltimore, Maryland and with two of her sisters, she worked at Westinghouse. It was in Baltimore that she met a Texas boy from Merkel. She married O.R. Blanton on April 19, 1946, in Baltimore, MD. He preceded her in death on November 28, 1981.
Upon her marriage, she and her husband moved to Artesia N.M., where her in-laws had just relocated from Texas. She and her husband lived there until they moved to Ozona, TX in 1958. She was a housewife and raised her two children there. She was a member of Ozona United Methodist Church and upon moving to San Angelo in 1993, she attended Sierra Vista United Methodist Church with her family until her health prevented her from attending. Her life revolved around her two children, four granddaughters and four great grandchildren. She will be missed by all those who dearly loved her. She was the best Mom and "Meme" we could have ever wished for.
She was preceded in death by her husband, O.R. Blanton, her parents, a great granddaughter, Elizabeth Grace Noble, brothers, Drago and Daniel Besedich, sisters, Olga Myers, Kay Stache, Mary Chickrell, Josephine Flannery and Virginia Davis.
She is survived by her son, Doug Blanton, of San Angelo; her daughter, Tanya Blanton, of San Angelo; four Granddaughters, Dree Noble and husband Reagon, of San Angelo, Brittnae Davidson, of Austin, Lesli Uherik and husband Luke, of San Angelo, Tara Robertson and husband Travis of Austin; four Great Grandchildren, Tripp, Marin and Reed Noble and Charlotte Uherik, all of San Angelo; two Sisters, Mildred Hughes, of Dravosburg, Pennsylvania and Helen Lockwood, of Fairmont, West Virginia; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sierra Vista United Methodist Church, Sanctuary Organ Fund, or to the donor's favorite charity.
Tha family would like to thank Dr. John Granaghan and his staff, Dr. Keith Graham and to the ICU nurses and 3rd floor nurses at San Angelo Community Medical Center, Kacci Jacoby and Jennifer Price of HOSA, and a special thanks to Milessa Murtishaw for her love and care of our mom.