Gladys Fiser Blankenship

Gladys Fiser Blankenship, 93, of Cleveland, TN, passed away Friday, July 29, 2022, at her home surrounded by her family.  Gladys was born in Gibson, TN, to John Thomas Fiser III and Gracie Elizabeth Yochum Fiser.  She married Bobby Joe Blankenship in 1949 in Humboldt, TN, and they moved to Memphis, TN, in 1956.  She was employed as a secretary with Memphis City Schools for over 30 years.  She and her husband moved in 2007 to Cleveland, where they became active members of the First United Methodist Church.

Gladys was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and a significant presence in the life of her family.  She was a woman of strong faith and a loyal friend to all who knew her.  Gladys and her husband Bobby enjoyed golfing together and traveling the world with their family and friends.  She was an avid reader and a fierce competitor in cards and games.  Her hobbies also included crocheting, knitting, and crafts.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Bobby Joe Blankenship; brothers, J.T. and R.C. Fiser; and sisters, Marie Goodman and Minnie Belle Welch.

She is survived by her daughter, Donna Blankenship of Cleveland; two grandchildren, Shannon Younger (Bridget) of Huntsville, AL, and Jennifer Williams of Cleveland; five great-grandchildren, Haley and Lily Williams and Jacob, Tyler, and Morgan Younger; and several nieces and nephews.

A celebration of her life will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 1, 2022, in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home with Pastor Curtis McKee officiating. The family will receive friends from 1-2 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home.

An additional service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, in the Fireside Chapel of Memorial Park Funeral Home, 5668 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN, with Reverend Dennis P. Neenan officiating.  The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 1-2 p.m. prior to the service.  Entombment will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. 

The family would like to thank Hospice of Chattanooga for their compassionate care, especially her caregivers, Shannon McDonald and Margie Willis.

The family requests memorials be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org or to First United Methodist Church, 3425 N. Ocoee Street, Cleveland, TN  37312.

We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Blankenship family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.com.