GHLEE E. BAIR

Ghlee Blair

Ghlee E. Blair, 71, of Lewistown, died at 1:28 p.m. Friday, May 30, 1997, at Graham Hospital in Canton.

He was born on April 24, 1926, at Lewistown, a son of Kylie and Nellie Gardner Blair. He married Freda DeGulie on Feb. 23, 1957, at Canton. She survives.

Also surviving are one son, Kevin Blair of Lewistown; four daughters, Jane Williams of Canton, Becky Ball of Fairview, Jackqui Rilea and Sue Negley, both of Lewistown; 10 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and one brother, Ralph Burton of Broken Arrow, Okla.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one son-in-law, one brother and four sisters.

He served during seven battles on the Troop Carrier “USS Leon” for two years during WWII. During his service in the Navy, he was awarded membership in the “Shell Backs” and “The Golden Dragons.” He worked most of his life as a meat cutter at various area grocery stores and also owned a grocery store in Lewistown and most recently Blair’s Food Center in Ipava until its closing in 1991. He also owned and operated his own wholesale produce business, selling to both restaurants and grocery stores. He had attended the First Presbyterian Church of Lewistown and was a member of Lewistown Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 5001 and Lewistown American Legion Post 1.

Services were held Tuesday at the Henry Memorial Home in Lewistown with Rev. John Pereboom officiating. Burial was in the Greenwood Cemetery at Canton with military rites at the grave by his VFW and American Legion posts.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Lewistown Park District summer baseball program or to the Lewistown Rescue Squad.

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 6/4/1997