Services for Carole Jo Holmes Blassingame will be held 11 am Thursday, Nov 20 at First United Methodist Church Ennis, Texas. Visitation is at J.E. Keever Mortuary, Wednesday Nov 19 6-8 pm. Carole died of natural causes on November 16th, 2014. She was 72 years old. Born in Chickasha, OK August 15, 1942 to Joe and Lois Holmes and older brother Ronald, Carole married John William Blassingame on July 19th 1964 in Dallas, Texas. They have made their home in Ennis since 1973. She attended North Texas State University where she earn a Bachelor of Music, and later earned her Master of Science from East Texas State University. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Lois Holmes and her brother Ronald. She is survived by her beloved husband John W. Blassingame of Ennis, Texas, children Toni Barr and husband Jim of Ennis, Texas, John W. Blassingame Jr. and wife Leah of North Richland Hills, Texas, David Blassingame and wife Kaitlin of Fort Worth, Texas, seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, and numerous dear friends. Carole and John were blessed to celebrate 50 years of wedded bliss this past July, and many friends and family were able to share in the joy of the occasion. They especially enjoyed their mornings together discussing the day ahead over breakfast. They put teamwork into practice to care for practical needs, and sometimes special treats for ‘the kids’. Carole had a great love for children, and working with them was one of her special gifts. She taught elementary school in Ellis County for over 30 years. The impact she had was significant, as described by her grandson, Nicholas Phillips, age 18: There are people in our lives that make very little impact on us, while others have contributed so much to who we are that we can’t imagine a world without them. The cold fact of life is that the limits of our imaginations do not align with the limits of what is possible. I do believe however when the worst happens it is important to remember the best.
When I was little I always had a talent for talking, but when it came to sitting still and learning the lessons that would make life worthwhile, I was seldom easy to work with. My grandmother was a gentle kind of person with a kind of patience only a seasoned elementary school teacher could have, her ability to quiz and remind and perfect and refine my attempts to pronounce the daunting words of the book “Freddy Spaghetti” were unrivaled. She was the type of person whose primary concerns were centered in getting the family together keeping her music up to standard, and making sure there was enough food for everyone eating on any given night. How do we live without those who put forth their best to shape us. How do we go forward after someone that has put so much effort into making us who we are has gone? There isn’t a clear answer but, the best we can do is live each day as a memorial to their contribution in our lives. To allow them to live on in the way we conduct ourselves. I know a large piece of who I am came from my Memah, and I hope today when a smile or hug is sent your direction from one of her children or grandchildren you feel a piece of the warmth we all felt when she was here.
One of the most important lessons Memah taught me is the importance of family; there’s something wonderful about a room full of people who have no choice but to love each other. The value of keeping a structure of love and support intact is something Memah made sure to harbor in us all and I hope that in her memory we continue work together to make an even closer family as that is what my Memah would have wanted, and right now that’s what’s most important. She most recently served as organist for the FUMC Ennis where it was her joy to put her musical talents into practice. She loved to prepare for her role each week, and her standards were high. She was disciplined to consistently invest time and energy into each event. In fact, Carole spent the morning of her last day on this earth preparing for Sunday services, which she fully expected to attend the following morning. Without a doubt, her greatest joy was her relationship with the Lord, the source for inspiration, and the foundation for her practice of loving and giving in so many different ways. Quiet times reading scripture and in prayer were precious to her. She experienced the sense of warm comfort that only the Lord provides, especially over the past two years as she walked through the passing of her best friend Pat McGuire, her brother Ron Holmes, and most recently her dear mother Lois Holmes Duncan. She loved to read the Psalms, and she passed her faith on to her children for whom she was faithful to pray, encourage, and lovingly support.
The family requests in lieu of flowers donations be made to the special fund set up in Carole’s name at the First United Methodist Church of Ennis.
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