November 26, 1936 – September 23, 2024 Mary Ellen Hayes Blankenship departed this world on September 23, 2024. A loving wife and mother, devoted grandmother, and affectionate friend, she served God and her community throughout her long life. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana on Thanksgiving Day in 1936, Mary Ellen moved to Alexandria, Louisiana, where she lived until another move brought her family to the West Texas town of Big Spring. There, she began high school and soon met Buddy Blankenship, a wonderful, red-headed young man who would one day become her husband. An accomplished student who enjoyed school, Mary Ellen excelled in her classes and worked on the school newspaper and yearbook. By the time she graduated high school, she was planning to marry Buddy. While waiting for him to return from his years of Navy service, Mary Ellen studied at Howard County Junior College, where she served on the student council and as editor of the yearbook, and was voted Basketball Sweetheart and Most Beautiful Girl. She and Buddy married in September of 1956 and moved to Denton, where she earned a degree in Secretarial Science at North Texas State College (later UNT). After graduating in 1958, she worked for a time at Proctor and Gamble before settling down to start a family. In common with many women of her generation, Mary Ellen was deeply involved in church ministries and in volunteering with her childrens’ schools and extracurricular activities, including serving a term as president of the Dallas County Aggie Moms’ Club. She returned to school at Texas Woman’s University to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, afterward caring for patients in Day Surgery and as a Hospice Nurse. Mary Ellen was active alongside her husband at Park Cities Baptist Church, in close fellowship with couples in the Floyds Faithful Adult Sunday School class. She kept in touch with very dear friends from Oak Cliff, particularly enjoying trips with a group of seven other ladies who all dubbed themselves “The Traveling Eight”. She loved studying God’s Word and reading books about scripture and Christian living. She worked to nurture a love for the Lord in her precious grandchildren (and often, their friends) by writing and sharing TFD (Thoughts for the Day) via text. These messages of hope and faith were gleaned from scripture and inspirational writings. Even as she entered the final months of her life, she was recognized as an unofficial Goodwill Ambassador in her Memory Care unit, loving and serving her new neighbors by helping them to find light and peace in a difficult situation. Mary Ellen was preceded in death by Buddy, her beloved husband of 56 years, and her dear brothers Jerry and Bob Hayes. She is survived by her three children: Clay Blankenship (wife Donna), D’Ann Sparks (husband Vince), and Ruth Ellen Heaton (husband Bill); grandchildren: Josh Blankenship (wife Amy), Cade Blankenship (wife Kasey), Trey Heaton, Chloe Johnson (husband Zach), and Jude Sparks; great-grandchildren: Brynn and Bennett Blankenship and William Johnson (due to arrive in October of 2024), as well as many wonderful and cherished friends. If you feel led to make a donation in Mary Ellen’s memory, please consider Texans on Mission (formerly Texas Baptist Men), at texansonmission.org.