Blanche J. Dowdy

Blanche Jean Dowdy died on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. She was 91 years old.
She was born on April 28, 1929 in Hornersville, Missouri, a daughter of John and Prudie (Riggs) Lomax.
She was married to Clarence Dowdy Jr. on April 4, 1952, and he preceded her in death.
She is survived by seven children, Judy LeClere and her husband Jerry, Susan Zerwig and her husband Dave, Cathy Coffman and her husband Joe, Sandy Boland and her husband Larry, Dennis Dowdy and his wife Gail, John Dowdy and his wife Vicki, and James Dowdy and his wife Darlene; 19 grandchildren, Janine LeClere, Joseph LeClere and his wife Jana, Reachel Allen and her husband Troy, Shawn Heberlie and his wife Kelly, Shannon Heberlie and his wife Jennifer, Eric Heberlie and his wife Tonya, Amanda Bosky and her husband Steve, Jared Boland and his wife Nicole, Cindy Newport and her husband Jeff, Gabe Dowdy and his wife Alissa, Danielle Dowdy, Zachary Dowdy, Johnathan Dowdy and his wife Carley, Logan Dowdy, Nate Dowdy, Thomas Dowdy, Elizabeth Dowdy; and 26 great- and great-great grandchildren, Jeren, Jadyn, Jonathan, Steven, Bradley, Peyton, Tanner, Hayden, Michael, Kennedie, Taylor, Chloe, Aiden, Mollie, Adyson, Mikey Jr., Corey, Morgan, Lincoln, Jaxson, Aubrey, Peyton, Emersyn, Olivia, Eden, Tucker and Amayah.
In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by her siblings and two grandchildren, Mike Heberlie and Patrick Coffman.
She grew up in a hard-working and fun-loving family with two brothers and two sisters. She was called Sis most of her life, becoming Aunt Sis as the family grew. She was an avid basketball player and an avid Cardinals fan, and she worked the cotton fields in her youth. She graduated with her future husband from Hornersville High School in 1948. She loved children and babies. She raised the children with so much love. She always enjoyed Sunday dinners and big extended family gatherings. She ran the Dowdy Country Store in Minnith from 1970 to 1980. She was a member of Saline Baptist Church. She was an amazing mother, not only to her own children but to anyone who came in her path. She lived a life of service to others, caring for much of her family in their later years. She was a woman who always put the needs of others above her own.
A service and burial took place for immediate family only. Basler Funeral Home of Ste. Genevieve handled the arrangements.
Memorials may be made to the Saline Baptist Church Building Fund.