Blanche Lucille Niblock Wolfe went home to be with her Savior and her beloved husband and daughter on June 8, 2018. Blanche was born on March 17, 1921 in Pittsburgh, PA. She is the daughter of Fredrick Lawrence Niblock and Rose Hair Niblock. The family moved to the Danby Valley homestead near Brownell when Blanche was an infant. Her father passed away a short time later. In 1923, her mother married Fred M. Robbins and Blanche gained a step-brother, Melvin Robbins, and step-sister, Lucille Robbins Barnett, both now deceased. Blanche attended Salt City Business School after graduating from Ransom High School in 1938. She married Clarence F. Wolfe on September 21, 1941. To this union were born Rodney Lee, Rosemary Anita, Regina Faye (Jeanie), Clarilyn Blanche and Kent Frederick Wolfe.
After serving in the Army, the young family settled on a farm southwest of Brownell. The Wolfe family was very active in the Brownell Methodist Church with Blanche playing the piano, singing in the choir and funeral quartet, and teaching in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. She was instrumental in establishing the school lunch program in Brownell and was a 4-H club leader.
In 1959, the family moved to Ness City and opened Wolfe’s Tax Service where Clarence and Blanche were partners in the firm for the next 25 years. Blanche continued to be active in the Ness City Methodist Church. Her musical skills lead her to compose a song adopted by the Eastern Star (ESA) State Conference. She participated in other community groups including Business & Professional Women and served as President of ESA. Blanche loved sewing and gardening. She canned baskets of fruits and home-grown vegetables and always surrounded her homes with flower gardens.
In April,1963, Blanche and Clarence lost their beloved youngest daughter, Clarilyn, in a terrible car wreck. The July birth of their youngest son, Kent, brought light back into their lives. Starting in 1984, Blanche and Clarence spent their winters in Gulfport, FL. Blanche continued returning to Ness each summer after Clarence’s death in 1986, until her health no longer permitted traveling.
Blanche is survived by two sons and two daughters: Rodney (Lloydeen) of Garden City, KS; Rosemary (Freddie) Johnson of Gainesville, FL; Regina (Jeanie) Anderson (husband John deceased) of Clearwater, FL; and Kent (Diane) Wolfe of Hudson, IA. Blanche has eight grandchildren: Dion (Susan) Wolfe; Allen (Sue) Johnson; JB (Wende) Anderson, John (Megan) Anderson, and Justice (Jennifer) Anderson; Anna (Kelly) Sheets, Ashley (Jordan) Talsma and Grant Wolfe. At last count on her 97th birthday, Blanche had 13 great-grands with two more on the way: Christopher, Nikkolas and Karolynn Wolfe; Samantha Johnson; AJ and Annabelle Anderson; Joshua, John-John, Jacob and Joseph Anderson; Jackson and Justice Anderson, Jr. and Brecken Sheets. Surviving cousins include Ruth Hair Filbert and Willa Hair.
Blanche was known for her kindness, her independence, her leadership and her love of music, clothes, travel, flowers and the color red. People waited anxiously for her beautiful bake-sale cakes, cherry pie and open-faced peach pies. Blanche was a loving mother. Her family wants to thank everyone who gave her such warm and loving care in her final years. She will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her.
Visitation with the family will be Friday, June 29, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home in Ness City, KS. A funeral service will be held at the United Methodist Church in Ness City on Saturday, June 30, at 11:00 a.m., followed by graveside services at the Ness City Cemetery.
Memories and words of support maybe left for the family by writing in the guest book below.