Heaven gained the most beautiful angel on July 11th, 2025.

Betty June Blankenship, 83, a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt passed away in the arms of her daughter at 4:13pm at McLaren Thumb Region in Bad Axe Michigan. She left this world to be rejoicefully reunited with her infant son Jerry, her husband Gene, and her daughter Kim.

Betty was born on June 4th, 1942, in McArthur, Ohio. She was the 4th of 9 children of James Alfred and Blanche Evelyn (Truman) Young. She grew up in the southern part of Ohio, in a country farm-life setting. Her family was not wealthy, and she learned early on how to improvise. A quality that she carried throughout her lifetime and instilled in her own children. She would frequently reference her lifestyle as being "hillbilly" or "hilljack" and was extremely proud of these self-proclaimed titles. Her ingenuity to make something out of nothing was nothing short of amazing. Her children would always joke that she could make a whole meal out of a bag of flour and a bag of potatoes. She loved to learn but did not care for going to school. She ended school at the completion of 8th grade, but she had the most beautiful penmanship and could spell any word that you threw at her.

In 1963, she married Paul (Buck) Lowry and was blessed with 4 wonderful children: Jim, Rick, Larry, and Kim. They later divorced and 4 years after, she met James (Jim) Lemaster. She never married Jim but did have another child, her "baby girl" Linda. After her children were raised, she met the love of her life, Thurman (Gene) Blankenship and they were married on January 2nd, 1995. He gave her unwavering companionship, love, and happiness. Although, after his passing, she would admittedly say "He aggravated the daylights out of me, but I loved him".

Betty was a single, stay-at-home Mom. She raised her children with unconditional love and support. She dedicated her life to fostering a loving environment and she was the foundation of her family. Her home was always a gathering for her children and their friends, and she was often perceived as the community Mom. Her greatest joy was spending time with her family, and she had a knack of remembering birthdays of those she loved and never missed sending wishes on those days.

There are so many words to describe Betty, but the three that sum her up best are sweet, sassy, and stubborn. Her sassiness was legendary and was believed to be a hereditary trait in the females of the family. It was evident in every conversation Betty had, and she never hesitated to speak her mind or tell you exactly how she felt. Yet, this was portrayed in a way that made you love her for it. She was proud of this trait and proud of the fact that her daughter and granddaughters, also carry the "sass" gene.

In her final months, Betty was a patient at McLaren Thumb Region's Swing Bed. She hated not being at home and was sure to make sure everyone knew it. However, she loved the staff there and considered them family. She was especially fond of Dakota and thoroughly enjoyed having her do her nails and hair.

Betty is survived by her children: James Lowry of The Plains, Ohio, Larry Lowry of Coolville, Ohio, Eric (special friend Lisa Townsend) of Bad Axe, MI, and Linda and Paul (Sunshine) Shisler of Bad Axe, MI. Her grandchildren: Matthew, Tyler (Rachel), and Chelsea Cathel, Jordan Shisler, Netanya and Dustin (Michaela) Stirrett, Jeremy Blair, Jonie (Michael) Lochbaum, Jackie (Cody) Bowen, Nichole (Aaron) Eddlemon, Kayla (Cameron) Lowry-Deeter, Larry Lowry, and Virgie Able. Her great-grandchildren: Noah, Sophia, Braxton, Leeanna, Olivia, Aydon, Aleena, Natalie, Braxton, Aaryn, Alex, Huey, Kaylee, Isaac, Zayne, Silas, Kennedy, Reagan, Serenity, Keri, Darren, Logan, Ella, Savannah, and Hayley. Her siblings: Donald Young, Thomas (Julie) Young, Judy Scott, Bonnie Young, and Joyce Cottrell. Her nieces and nephews: Heather (Rob), Jamie (Alan), Janet (Patrick), David, Robby, Wayne, Shawn, and Evan. Several great and great-great nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her cherished fur-baby, Baxter.

She was proceeded in death by her parents, her husband Gene, her infant son Jerry, her daughter Kim, her daughter-in-law Linda (Kathy) Lowry, her grandsons Corey Townsend and Joseph (Drew) Ball, her sister and brother-in-law Mary and Bill Rowland, her brother and sister-in-law Russell and Elizabeth Young, her brothers-in-law Randy Scott and James (Junior) Cottrell, her niece Cathy May, and her nephew Mark Rowland.

Funeral Service will be Thursday, July 17th at 11am at the Knoblock Funeral Home in Kinde, Michigan. Burial will follow in the Colfax Township Cemetery. Visitation will be on Wednesday, July 16th from 3-8pm and on Thursday, July 17th from 10am to the time of service at the funeral home.