Blanche B. (Davies) Bardwell

Blanche Beatrice Bardwell., age 95, of Clarion, passed away Wednesday, August 31, 2005, at Wright Medical Center in Clarion.

A Memorial Service will be held 1:30 P.M. on Saturday, September 3, 2005 at the Ewing Dugger Helgeson Funeral Home, 602 North Main in Clarion, Iowa with interment at Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion.

Blanche Beatrice Bardwell daughter of Chester and Orpha (Holaday) Davies was born October 16, 1909 in Montezuma, Indiana. At the age of 15 the family moved to Belmond.

On August 12, 1928 Blanche was united in marriage to Leo Bardwell. She was a hard working farm wife and mother to five children.

Upon leaving the farm in 1965 she worked as a cook in numerous county facilities. She spent five years working with her son, Leo, in Connecticut, and then returned to Clarion.

In 1958 Blanche lost her youngest son, Otis, in the Armed Services and her oldest son, Emery, in 1960 due to complications of diabetes. After losing her husband, Leo, to cancer in 1977 she went to work as a cook at the Clarion Care Center. She worked at the care center until health problems forced her retire.

Blanche enjoyed traveling and was called “Traveling Granny” by members of her family. She lived at the Southtown Apartments before entering the USA Health Care Center where she resided for nine years.

Blanche is survived by one son, Leon Bardwell and his wife Barbara of Laffiville, Connecticut.; two daughters, Maxine Moeller and her husband Howard of Walcott, Evelyn Fibikar of Clarion; fifteen grandchildren; thirty-five great-grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren; one brother George Davies and his wife Gene of Lafayette, Indiana; one sister, Bertha G???? of San Diego, California; one half-brother, John Hites of Portland, Oregon; and a host of friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Leo; two sons, Otis and Emery; four brothers, Charles, Clarence, Roy and Chester Davies; and one grandson, Roy Fibikar.