Blanch Marie Roark

Blanch Marie Roark, 90, of St. George, KS, passed away Friday, April 10 at the Good Shepherd Hospice House in Manhattan, KS.

She was born in Indiana to Blanch Elizabeth (Moore) Blackburn and Dewey Kanada Blackburn. She and her three siblings were raised in Indiana until high school when the family moved to Kentucky so her dad could work at International Harvester. Blanch was a Christian and she met her husband in Kentucky at the church there. She worked putting her husband through college, then became a full time homemaker. Due to the military, they ended up living in San Diego, California where they raised their three children.

Blanch worshiped with the Canyon View Church of Christ in San Diego where she was very active with the Ladies Bible Class.

In 2019 due to health issues, she moved to Saint George, Kansas to live with her daughter and placed membership at the Manhattan Church of Christ. Even though her health was declining she was still up for adventure, travel and playing games. Quite often she would be at the Manhattan senior center playing games and having lunch there.

She was a great mom. She was always there for her kids when they needed her. She enjoyed going to the beach to watch the sunsets and seals and loved watching Hallmark movies with the family. She was generous with her time as well as her belongings.

She is preceeded in death by her parents, Blanch Elizabeth and Dewey Kanada Blackburn, her brother Raymond Dale Blackburn, husband Hurley Leroy Roark, son Neil Eugene Roark and grandson, Kristofer Tyler Millan Roark.

Survived by brother Dewey Blackburn and sister Delores Hysler, son Dan Roark and his wife Leticia, daughter Donna and her husband Hans Tessmann, three grandchildren, Kristyn, Kaleb and Kyla and three great grandchildren, Jordan, Axel and Sora. Also, many nieces and nephews.

All in all she said the most important thing in her life was to be a Christian and to set a good example.

Memorial celebration will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Manhattan Church of Christ, and may be left in care of Stewart Funeral Home, PO Box 48, Wamego, KS 66547.