Mr. Howard O. Blackburn, 97, of Leesville, died in
his home on Thursday, June 2, 2016.
He was raised in the logging camps of Rapides and Vernon parish. He graduated from Simpson High School. He went to work for KCS railroad in 1942 and retired in 1980.
He served in the Army
Air Force during World War II. When stationed in England he received the Bronze Star for keeping his aircraft in flight longest in history for a P-38, which saved the pilot after making a long bombing run. He was one of the last surviving World War
II veterans in our community.
He was a Mason with Masonic Lodge #253 in Toro 32nd degree, and a Shriner with the El Karubah Shrine Temple in Shreveport.
After his retirement he was active in the first United Methodist Church
where he was a member.
Mr. Blackburn was active in many areas of his community. He was curator for Third Street museum,
Museum of West LA. He was the oldest and last charter members of the Kiwanis Club in Leesville. Hhe was
interviewed for the World War II Museum in New Orleans, and was active in the KCS retirement club, and many other groups in Leesville and Vernon Parish.
He was a history buff and also gave talks on the logging woods, steam engines, and
diesel engines. He was also very knowledgeable about the history of New Llano and gave many talks about it.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 63 years Allene Blackburn; father and mother, Ernest
Blackburn and Maude
Blackburn; his mother – in – law, Nellie B. Stark; three sisters, Lurlene
Stalsbury, Billie Armand, and Beth Gallant.
Those left to cherish his memory are two sons and their wives, Jimmy and Maureen Blackburn of
Carriere, Miss., and Wayne and Charlotte Blackburn of Shreveport; one sister, JoLynn Maher of
Alexandria, Va.; nine grandchildren, Lisa, Byron, and Stuart Blackburn, Sherrie and Ron Griffith,
Michael and Shannon Blackburn,
Kathryn and David Caskey; 14 great- grandchildren, Josh,
Nick, Matthew, Cameron Blackburn, Chelsea Tarver, Micah and Nicholas Paola, Hanna Lout, Jaci
Brooks, Kryssie and Chad Tingle, Lindsey Todd, and Olivia, Jacob, and
Jonathan; one
great-great-grandchild, Khloe Griffith; many nieces and nephews as well as very dear friends.
Visitation will be held Monday, June 6, 2016, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Hixson Funeral Home of
Leesville
and again Tuesday, June 7, 2016 from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. at First United Methodist
Church. Services will be held Tuesday, June 7, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at the church with Pastor Angela Bulhof officiating. Interment will follow in Forest
Lawn Cemetery/
The family requests that memorials be made in lieu of flowers to one of the following; First United
Methodist Church, 202 North 5 th Street, Leesville, LA 71446, Kiwanis of Vernon, P.O. Box 1873,
Leesville, LA 71496 or Shriners Hospital, P.O. Box 1265, Leesville, LA 71496.
Words of comfort may be shared with the family by visiting our online register at www.hixsonfh.com