Noble Earnest Blanchard: 1930-2021

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Noble Earnest Blanchard, whom also went by "Hank" or "Henry", was born Jan. 26, 1930, in a little town called Chelton, Missouri, which is a part of the Ozark Mountains. He was diagnosed with bone cancer March 2, 2021. Hank was the youngest of four boys and one girl. 
At age 17, he moved with his family across the United States to Centralia, Wash., to be with his grandparents on his mother's side of the family. At age 20, Hank was drafted into the United States Army when the U.S. was at war with Korea. He took his medic training at Fort Lewis and ended up in Landstuhl, Germany, driving an ambulance.
In 1951, Hank married a young farm girl, Marie Bushnell, from Rochester, Wash. She grew up on a dairy farm in Independence Valley, Wash. They would have been married 70 years Aug. 18, 2021. They moved to Yoncalla, Ore., after the war, had a girl and a boy, and later adopted a little girl from Marie's side of the family.
Hank loved driving, so he became a long-haul trucker, driving across western states. He was injured on the job and wasn't able to drive anymore. After becoming disabled, Hank had a close friend who was a gun smith, who he would visit and talk with in Oakville, Wash. Forwest Steel 16 and a half years, then Market Transport for three years. He had moved to Washington, so Hank's wife could help take care of her folks in Oakville. Hank and Marie rented a space in the Centralia Yard Birds and got to know all the people there. 
A memorial will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 10, 2021, at Yard Birds.