JESSE O. BLAKENEY
Jesse Otis “Jess” Blakeney, of Mexia, passed away in Mexia on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, at age 82, after a long illness.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, with visitation from 2 to 3 p.m. before the services, in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Deacon David McDaniel officiating. Burial will follow in Faulkenberry Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Clayton McDaniel, David McDaniel Jr., Ben Smith, Hershell Smith Jr., C.J. Vasquez, and Zachary Matthews. Honorary pallbearers will be Keith Braunecker, John Diaz, J.R. Norris, John Glenn Blakeney, Jacob Norris McDaniel and Andy Andrade.
Jesse was born Nov. 8, 1937, to Benjamin Franklin Blakeney and Ollie Fean Hamilton, in Camp Wood, (Real County). He grew up and attended school in Fort Worth.
Jess served in the U.S. Army from 1955 through 1957. He met his future wife when they were introduced by a friend in Fort Worth, and they have been together ever since.
Jess and Dorothy Ogletree were united in marriage on April 15, 1958, in Cleburne. He was a truck driver, and Dorothy was also a truck driver. In addition to raising seven children, they spent many hours together on the road, all over the United States, taking turns driving. The children made some trips with them, sometimes all seven rode in the sleeper together, with picnics at rest stops; and the kids considered these trips great family vacations. The family had lived at various places as the job changed, including Fort Worth and Abilene.
At one time, Jess and Dorothy lived in Groesbeck, where he worked for Dugan Trailer, during the time they made the first gooseneck trailer. He also owned a tire shop and a trailer repair shop during his working life, and he could break down a tire by hand faster than men with machines can do now. He was talented with all kinds of mechanical work.
Jess taught his six girls, as well as his son, how to be self-sufficient in taking care of their cars and depended on them to take care of their Mom while he was gone on weeklong road trips. He could diagnose car troubles over the phone when his daughters called. He only retired from truck driving about five years ago, but stayed busy in lawnmower repairs, for family and for the public. He and Dorothy moved to Mexia two years ago.
Jess was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, James Blakeney and William Blakeney; and his sister, Ima Jean Goforth.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Dorothy Aline Blakeney of Mexia; daughter and son-in-law Valerie and David McDaniel, of Waco; daughter Brenda Mora, of Mexia; daughter and son-in-law, Johnnie and Drew Roberts, of Mexia; daughter Billie Blakeney, of Halifax, Va.; daughter Lynda Tillotson, of Loving; daughter and son-in-law Julie and Hershul Smith Sr.; and son Jesse Blakeney Jr., of Mexia. His family also includes 21 grandchildren and 70 great-grandchildren. Surviving siblings are his sisters, Helen Kelley and Myrtle Frank; and brothers Edmond Blakeney and Jerry Blakeney, all of the Fort Worth area.
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