It is with sad, but proud hearts that we announce the passing of Oscar “Ted” Blank, a long-time pillar of the Logansport, Indiana and Bainbridge Island, Washington communities. Ted, aged 101, left this world on September 23, 2023. He graced our lives for far longer than is the norm, but never seemed to grow old. In August 2023, he lived at home and maintained his beautiful gardens on Bainbridge Island.
Ted was born on May 30, 1922, on a farm near Mooresville, Indiana, the son of Oscar and Ruth Blank and youngest of three children. Over the years he and his father, “O.C.,” became known nationally as breeders and exhibitors of Chester White pure-bred hogs. With the purchase of a farm near Logansport, Indiana in 1944, Oscar, Ruth, Ted, and his new wife, Helen (married 1943), all moved to Cass County where Ted farmed for sixty-one years. Ted and Helen raised three sons, instilling in them the values of integrity, hard work, and the importance of education. After thirty-eight years of marriage, Helen passed away in 1981.
He was an alumnus of Ben Davis High School and attended Purdue University.
Very active in leadership in local and state organizations, Ted was especially affiliated with 4-H, the Purdue School of Agriculture, and a variety of local, state, and federal entities. He served on the Indiana State Fair Board, including a term as President, received the Indiana 4-H Alumni award, was named an Indiana Prairie Farmer Master Farmer in 1981, served on the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Logansport, and assisted in the development of the Logansport YMCA and new grounds for the Cass County 4-H Fair. Active in Republican politics, he was Chair of the Cass County Republican Party and later served as Senator Richard Lugar’s Aide for Agriculture, a position which led to his appointment as Indiana Director of the Farmers Home Administration. An avid gardener after his farming years, he became an Indiana Master Gardener.
Ted’s dedication to his work was surpassed only by his love of family. He was a devoted husband to Emily, his second wife, with whom he shared forty years of marriage. In 2005 he and Emily moved from Logansport to Bainbridge Island where Emily’s four children lived. Ted enjoyed the weather in Washington and his ability to grow most any flower, shrub, or tree he wished. He was a volunteer at Bloedel Reserve and Bainbridge Arts and Crafts and was named to the 2012 Who’s Who of Bainbridge Island.
Ted is survived by his wife, Emily, sons, Tom (Arthalyn), Ted, Jr. (Linda), and Peter, five grandsons and ten great grandchildren. Emily has four children, Rick, Debbie, John, Stefanie, and eleven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Ted was preceded in death by his two sisters, Irma (Trulock) and Virginia (Lybrook).
Beyond his family, Ted was a friend to many, known for his generous spirit, forthright commentary, and enjoyment of all he met. He knew the first name of most of the employees at Town and Country Grocery and Bay Hay and Feed on Bainbridge Island. He had an infectious wisdom that came from a life well-lived. His presence was a source of comfort to all who knew him, and his absence leaves an irreplaceable void in our lives. While he may no longer be with us in person, his legacy lives on in the hearts of those he touched.
Memorial services are pending at Cook Family Funeral Home, Bainbridge Island, Washington and Kroeger Funeral Home, Logansport, Indiana. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Helen Johantges Blank Nursing Scholarship Endowment Fund (#33/35-620) at Ascension St. Vincent Foundation, Indianapolis: https://give.stvincent.org/nursingscholarships
May he rest in peace, forever remembered, forever missed.
