Welcome to ELMO's Family Tree
Researching the Families of Eckard, Lail, Moody, & Owl
Website Last Updated: Mon., 8 May 2023
Passings 2016: G. Johnson, R. M.Cooper, Mu Sun Jimenez, V. Wease
In Memorium
Trooper David Shawn Blanton, Jr.
&
Son, Brendan Tye Blanton
(Click on the photos to enlarge view)
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Trooper David Shawn Blanton, Jr.
Cherokee – Trooper David Shawn Blanton, Jr., G540, age 24, a two year veteran with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol died a hero on Tuesday, June 17, 2008, in the line of duty.
He was a native of Swain County and was very proud of his Cherokee heritage. Shawn was the first member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to become a North Carolina State Highway patrolman. He was a 2002 graduate of Smoky Mountain High School, where he played varsity football, baseball, wrestling and track. He loved all sports, especially fishing and hunting with his family. He coached the girl's J.V. softball team at Smoky Mountian High School and played for two softball recreation leagues,
The Explosion, a law enforcement and rescue team in Waynesville, and Beaudry's, a team in Cherokee.
He is survived by his wife, Michaela Layman Blanton; a two-week old son, Brendan Tye Blanton; his father and stepmother, David S. and Jennifer Blanton, of Sylva; his mother, Jeanell Youngbird, of Cherokee; paternal grandmother, Nikki Nations and her husband, Kenny, of Whittier; maternal grandmother, Mary Youngbird, of Cherokee; three brothers, Jerry Russell Blankenship, of Whittier, Jim Kye Blankenship, of Cherokee and Jesse James Blanton, of Sylva; a sister, Natalie Erin Blanton, of Sylva; mother-in-law, Cindi Layman and her fiance, Dave Grant, of Canton; brother-in-law, Ryan Layman and his wife, Shea, and their son, Jaxon, of Bethel; five aunts, Sarita Harjo, of Okla., Faren Fleetwood, of Ohio, Debra Pruitt, of Whittier, Jamie Blanton, of Cherokee and Barbara Jones, of Whittier; stepgrandparents, George and Peggy Lambert, of Cherokee; and several cousins and other extended family members.
The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 21, 2008, at Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska Conference Center, with the Rev. David Christy officiating. Remarks will also be delivered by Colonel W. Fletcher Clay, Commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Burial will follow at Thomas Cemetery in Whittier. The family will receive friends from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday at Wells Funeral Home of Canton.
Pallbearers will be law enforcement officers, emergency personnel, his brothers and brother-in-law, and friend, Tony Belcher. Memorials may be made to the Tye Blanton Fund, in memory of Trooper Shawn Blanton, c/o The State Employees Credit Union, at any branch throughout western North Carolina.
For those who desire, an online memorial register is available at Obituaries at www.wellsfuneralhome.com
Published: 2008-06-20
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Trooper David Shawn Blanton, Jr.
Trooper David Shawn Blanton and wife, Michaela Layman Blanton
Photos were obtained from those printed over a course of time as stories were printed about
this case in the Asheville Citizen Times Newspaper website; www.citizen-time.com
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Brendan Tye Blanton
herokee - Brendan Tye Blanton, infant son of Michaela Layman Blanton and the late Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr., died Friday, October 17, 2008, at Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville.
He was also preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Michael Douglas Layman; and his maternal greatgrandfather, Oscar Layman Jr.
For Tye to have had such a short life, he received much love, care, and support. He especially loved having his hair shampooed and cuddling with his mom. He was privileged to have experienced airplane and helicopter rides. On his parents wedding anniversary, Tye was able to taste their wedding cake. He also loved his NICU nurses at Memorial Mission Hospital.
He is also survived by his grandparents, Cindi Layman and her fiance, Dave Grant, of Canton, David Blanton and his wife, Jennifer, of Sylva, and Jeanell Youngbird, of Cherokee; great-grandparents include, Nikki Nations and her husband, Kenny, of Whittier, Mary Youngbird, of Cherokee, Margie Ferriss and her husband, Bill, of Hendersonville, and G. N. Cagle, of Greenville, S.C. Tye was loved by four uncles, Russell Blankenship of Whittier, Jim Kye Blankenship of Cherokee, Jesse Blanton of Sylva, and Ryan Layman and his wife, Shea, of Jonathan Creek; and aunts, Natalie Blanton and her fiance, Brent Ammons, of Sylva; and Jesselyn Ouderkirk, of Canton; along with a vast number of extended family members and the entire community.
The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Monday, October 20, 2008, at Cherokee Ceremonial Grounds in Cherokee, with the Rev. David Christy officiating. Burial will follow at Thomas Cemetery in Whittier. The family will receive friends from 4 until 8 p.m. Sunday at Wells Funeral Home of Canton.
Memorials may be made to one's favorite charity in memory of Tye.
For those who desire, an online memorial register is available at
Obituaries at www.wellsfuneralhome.com
Published: 2008-10-18
Obituaries for Trooper Blanton and his son were obtained from www.citizentimes.com
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We did not know Trooper Blanton and his family personally.
We, nevertheless, mourn with this family their losses.
We thank Trooper Blanton for his service and sacrifice.
We do not know his specific bloodline but we do know that Trooper Blanton is joined to our family through his step-grandparents, George and Peggy Lambert. George Lambert's sister, Dorothy Pauline Lambert Owl, married my uncle, Clifford Owl, my first cousin 1x removed. Clifford Owl was the son of Mark Owl (aka Alvin Mark Reed), who was my grandmother, Callie Magdaline Owl Moody's brother.