Obituaries
Barbara (Bobby) Shrum Blanton
( April 10, 1927 - October 22, 2022 )
Barbara (Bobby) Shrum Blanton, 95, died peacefully at The Greens at Lincolnton on Saturday, October 22, 2022.
A funeral celebrating her life will be held 2:00 PM Friday, October 28, 2022 at McKendree United Methodist Church, 3537 Maiden Highway, Lincolnton, NC. Burial will follow in McKendree UMC Cemetery. Family will receive friends at the church prior to the service starting at 12:30PM and lasting until 1:45PM.
Bobby was born April 10, 1927 in Lincoln County, NC. She was the daughter of Frank Wynn Shrum and Vivian Biggerstaff Shrum. She graduated from Greensboro College in 1947 with a degree in Education and Minor in Religious Studies. She taught at Rock Springs School in Denver, NC prior to marrying Leonard Franklin Blanton in 1948. During that year they moved to Raleigh where Leonard continued his education at N.C. State. In 1959 they moved with their four children to Berea, KY where Leonard worked at Berea College. Bobby continued her career of teaching math in Madison County, KY. For two years the family lived in Hyattsville, MD while Leonard did research at the University of Maryland. In 1967 they moved to Raleigh, NC where they stayed until retiring in 1985.
In Raleigh, Bobby taught 8th grade math at Daniels, Carnage and Carroll Junior High Schools. She participated in the development of 8th grade Math Curriculum for Raleigh Public Schools. Bobby was well liked and respected by her peers and many students. Her former students often commented how she made a difference in their learning experience, especially related to math!
Participation in church was a constant thread in Bobby’s life. No matter where she lived, she quickly established roots in a Methodist Church. This connection led to establishing lifelong friends.
Bobby held many leadership positions at the churches she attended particularly at Hayes Barton UMC in Raleigh and McKendree UMC in Lincolnton. She was Treasurer at McKendree for many years and active in numerous committees such as Education, Missions, Finance, Church Luncheon, just to name a few.
While she was active in teaching and her church, Bobby spent her spare time doing various other activities, such as quilting, family genealogy and canning the harvest from her garden. Even though she her hands were never idle, she always had time for her family, both directly related and those that maintained that, “she always felt like a mother to me.”
Preceded in death by her parents and husband, she is survived by her sons Wynn Blanton (Lauren), Mark Blanton (Jennifer), John Blanton and daughter, Barbara Frick. She is also survived by six grandchildren, John Frick (Jennifer), Sarah Frick Henderson (Josh), Meredith Blanton Gaines (Chris), Taylor Blanton Walker (Tyler), John Blanton, Jr., Andrew Blanton; and ten great-grandchildren, Bryson, Leah, Tabor, Micah, Cora, Mark, Griffin, Stella, Coraline, Kendall.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to McKendree UMC, PO Box 426, Lincolnton, NC 28093.
A funeral celebrating her life will be held 2:00 PM Friday, October 28, 2022 at McKendree United Methodist Church, 3537 Maiden Highway, Lincolnton, NC. Burial will follow in McKendree UMC Cemetery. Family will receive friends at the church prior to the service starting at 12:30PM and lasting until 1:45PM.
Bobby was born April 10, 1927 in Lincoln County, NC. She was the daughter of Frank Wynn Shrum and Vivian Biggerstaff Shrum. She graduated from Greensboro College in 1947 with a degree in Education and Minor in Religious Studies. She taught at Rock Springs School in Denver, NC prior to marrying Leonard Franklin Blanton in 1948. During that year they moved to Raleigh where Leonard continued his education at N.C. State. In 1959 they moved with their four children to Berea, KY where Leonard worked at Berea College. Bobby continued her career of teaching math in Madison County, KY. For two years the family lived in Hyattsville, MD while Leonard did research at the University of Maryland. In 1967 they moved to Raleigh, NC where they stayed until retiring in 1985.
In Raleigh, Bobby taught 8th grade math at Daniels, Carnage and Carroll Junior High Schools. She participated in the development of 8th grade Math Curriculum for Raleigh Public Schools. Bobby was well liked and respected by her peers and many students. Her former students often commented how she made a difference in their learning experience, especially related to math!
Participation in church was a constant thread in Bobby’s life. No matter where she lived, she quickly established roots in a Methodist Church. This connection led to establishing lifelong friends.
Bobby held many leadership positions at the churches she attended particularly at Hayes Barton UMC in Raleigh and McKendree UMC in Lincolnton. She was Treasurer at McKendree for many years and active in numerous committees such as Education, Missions, Finance, Church Luncheon, just to name a few.
While she was active in teaching and her church, Bobby spent her spare time doing various other activities, such as quilting, family genealogy and canning the harvest from her garden. Even though she her hands were never idle, she always had time for her family, both directly related and those that maintained that, “she always felt like a mother to me.”
Preceded in death by her parents and husband, she is survived by her sons Wynn Blanton (Lauren), Mark Blanton (Jennifer), John Blanton and daughter, Barbara Frick. She is also survived by six grandchildren, John Frick (Jennifer), Sarah Frick Henderson (Josh), Meredith Blanton Gaines (Chris), Taylor Blanton Walker (Tyler), John Blanton, Jr., Andrew Blanton; and ten great-grandchildren, Bryson, Leah, Tabor, Micah, Cora, Mark, Griffin, Stella, Coraline, Kendall.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to McKendree UMC, PO Box 426, Lincolnton, NC 28093.
Posted on 26 Oct 2022
Current Information
Contact
125 Dave Warlick Drive
Lincolnton, NC 28092
704/735-2521