Frank Blakley

Frank Blakley, 75, of Bevington passed away on Friday, January 1, 2016, with his family by his side at the Mercy Hospice in Johnston. A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 5, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Winterset. A memorial service will follow beginning at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 5, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church. The burial will be held at a later date in the Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter. Memorials may be made to the family and online condolences may be left for the family at ochiltree.com. Frank Lee Blakley son of, John and Dorothy (Vance) Blakley, was born December 17, 1940 in Herrold, Iowa. Frank attended schools in the Johnston area and obtained his GED after beginning his working career. He worked at Camp Dodge for the state starting at young age. Frank later joined the Iowa National Guard and worked as a mechanic on the camp until retiring in 1988. In retirement, he worked at the Madisonian & The Shopper for many years. Frank was united in marriage with Carol Wendelboe on September 25, 1965, at the First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Two children were born to this union, Chad and Leiloni. He was a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Winterset. In his youth, Frank participated in rodeos which inspired his lifelong passion for farm animals that he instilled in his grandchildren. He hunted coon for many years and belonged to the Madison County Coon Hunters Association. He enjoyed fishing and watching westerns in his free time. Frank touched many lives through the Special Olympics, which he was a volunteer and coach for many years. He was known to be a jokester, and always tried to make the people around him smile. Frank was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, who cherished the time he spent with his family. Frank is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carol Blakley of Bevington; son, Chad Blakley of Bevington; daughter, Leiloni Blakley of Bevington; step-son, Tim Kline of Polk City; grandchildren, Cherokee Blakley; Shania Blakley; Naomi Blakley; sisters, Ramona Crabtree of Madrid; Madeline (Robert) Spooner of Ankeny; Natoma “Toni” Alberts of Adel; Fred “Buck” Blakley of Lineville; and many awesome nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Charles and Steve Blakley; and sister, Marjorie Bennethum.