Funeral services for Verald Blandford, 96, of Portales, will be at 2:30 PM, Sat., May 11, 2019 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Sam Duncan officiating, assisted by Bill Turnbow. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Saul Arnett, Sean Arnett, John Blandford, Jerry Blandford, Rick Blandford and Scott Crum serving as pallbearers.
Verald Dean Blandford, known to family and friends as “Buck,” was born Aug. 16, 1922 in Shamrock, TX to the home of Leota Marie (Hill) and Ray Caldwell Blandford, and died May 8, 2019 in Portales at the age of 96 years, 8 months and 22 days. The family moved to Portales when he was a teenager. Buck left school for two years to help with his younger brothers and sisters, and then went back later to earn his high school diploma. On May 28, 1942 in Portales, he was married to LaVerba Scott. The couple had two daughters. In October 1942, he enlisted in the US Navy, and served until the end of World War II.
For a number of years he and his family made their home in California. During those years he owned and operated a Winchell’s Donut Shop where he was a top producer. At another time he owned Ace Radiator Service. After he sold the radiator shop, he worked at a craft production company making small wooden items. However, if you were to ask him what his favorite job was, he would readily tell you that it was working on a cattle ranch with his son-in-law’s grandfather.
In 1986 he moved to Conchas Lake where he enjoyed his retirement fishing for Walleyes. He was a member of the Conchas Lake Baptist Church.
He is survived by his two daughters, and a son-in-law, Sharon and Steve Arnett of Deming, NM, and Pam Crum of Yucaipa, CA; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; two brothers, Jerry Blandford of Las Cruces, NM and R. C. Blandford of Bosque Farms, NM; and two sisters, Gwendolyn Louise Bruce of Waxahachie, TX and Linda Bell of Portales. He was preceded in death by four brothers, B. T. “Jack” Blandford, Robert Donald Blandford, Maurice Dale Blandford and Richard Paul Blandford; two sisters, Viola Frances and Ora Estelle Powell; and by his beloved wife, LaVerba Blandford who died May 23, 2003 after just a few days short of 61 years of marriage.
