Beryl Austin Blakeley

Beryl Austin Blakeley was born February 2, 1911, in Carroll County, Tina, Missouri. He died Saturday, June 14, 2008, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 97 years, 4 months, and 12 days of age. Beryl was born during horse-and-buggy times, and lived through the automobile age to see a man walk on the moon. Imagine how the world changed during his lifetime. Beryl was born to a well-to-do family who lost everything during the 1929 stock market crash. He was 18 at the time. He lived through the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, working for the Civilian Conservation Corp. He became a carpenter and worked on many other projects of that era such as Hoover Dam. In the late 1950s, he helped build the St. Lawrence Seaway. On January 10, 1945, Beryl married Ruby Inell Baker in Bentonville, Arkansas. They had three children: Ruby Berylene, Thomas Austin, and Dick Eugene. They lived in the tri-state area of Arkansas-Missouri-Oklahoma. In 1958 Beryl moved his family from Missouri to New Mexico, where he continued working as a carpenter. He helped build the original freeway system in Albuquerque. In later years he worked for the State Highway Department, building bridges in the northwest quadrant of the state. He retired in 1973. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Fort Sumner, New Mexico, at his death. Although Beryl and Ruby moved to Santa Fe in January 2007 for medical reasons, in his heart Beryl was a citizen of Fort Sumner. A few weeks ago he announced he was the oldest man in Fort Sumner. Beryl loved people and never met a stranger. Last year he was taken to the Santa Fe emergency room where he talked to all the old men there. When he returned home later that day, he was happy as a clam. He had been out and about. He also loved dogs and fishing, and told people he was a fisherman who was forced to work. Beryl is survived by his wife, Ruby; his daughter, Berylene Rogers of Santa Fe; and his son, Dick of Mountain View, CA; four grandchildren: Jon Mark and Rhonda Rogers of Santa Fe; Thomas A. Blakeley II of Mountain View, CA; and Blair Blakeley of Los Angeles; two daughters-in-law: Ann Blakeley of Mountain View, CA, and Sandra Borthwick of Seaside, CA. He is also survived by two sisters: Myra Howard, 94, of Southern California, and Loretta Davenport, 92, of Altus, OK; two brothers-in-law: William Davenport of Altus, OK, and Eddie Baker of Albuquerque; and two sisters-in-law, Lucy Baker Dalton of Washburn, MO and Irene Coddington of Fort Sumner. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Rosa Blakeley; one sister, Violet; and one son, Thomas. The family will receive friends on Friday, June 20th from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. Visitation will continue from 5pm to 7pm at the funeral home. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Saturday, June 21, 2008 from the Chavez Funeral Home Chapel in Fort Sumner. Burial will follow at Fort Sumner Cemetery. Pallbearers will include Jon Mark Rogers, Rhonda Rogers, Thomas A. Blakeley II, Blair Blakeley, Charles Baker, Donald Baker, James Baker and Clinton Baker. Honorary bearers will include Betty Baker Blakeley, Ruth Baker, Bill Baker, Sam Baker, Verna Dalton Frye, Daniel Dalton, David Dalton, Scott Davenport and all Beryl's friends of First Baptist Church in Fort Sumner. Arrangements are under the direction of Chavez Funeral Home, 804 N. Fifth Street; Fort Sumner, New Mexico. (575) 355-2311. To place an online tribute or sign the guestbook visit www.chavezfuneralhome.com