Katherine Blankenship Ellsberry

Katherine Louise Blankenship Ellsberry, 86, of Blue Springs, MO, passed away Monday, March 29, 2004 at St. Mary�s Hospital Blue Springs. Services will be 11:00 am Friday, April 2, 2004 at Speaks Suburban Chapel. Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the service at the chapel. Cremation. Burial in Mound Grove Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to City Union Mission, 2301 Lexington, Kansas City, MO 64106. Katherine was born March 6, 1918 in Independence, MO, the eldest of 5 children of Julian and Alta (Madison) Warnock. Mrs. Ellsberry loved her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and pet dogs. She enjoyed landscaping and gardening in her spare time. Katherine is survived by her daughters Annette Leszczynski of Independence, MO, Carole Wood (Gerald) of Warrensburg, MO; son Charles Blankenship of Independence, MO; 9 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; sisters Alta Reiff and Mary Powell; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by husbands Virgil Oris Blankenship, Kenneth Ellsberry; and a son James Oris Blankenship, who died in Vietnam in 1968, making her a Gold Star Mother.