A Service of Remembrance was held Wednesday, Nov. 18, at First Presbyterian Church in Paton for Eva Lenore Blair, 97, of Paton.
The Rev Daniel Emmert, pastor of the church, offered words of comfort. Gary Haupert was soloist, accompanied by Danille Curtis. Honorary bearers were Eva’s great-grandchildren Kalen Thrane, Colton Thrane, Shanice Blair, Chantel Blair, Taysia Blair, Corbin Blair, Kristen Blair, Brandon Bollig and Madison Shereier.
Casket bearers were John Blair, Mark Blair, Mark David Blair, Dave Cunningham, Allan Mundt and Dave Mundt. Interment was at the Paton Township Cemetery in Paton.
Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home of Jefferson assisted the family.
Eva Lenore Drayer Blair, daughter of Mildred Gower Drayer and James Drayer, was born January 15, 1918, in Dawson Township, Greene County, Iowa. She died Nov. 14, 2015, in Jefferson.
Eva grew up in the Paton area and attended country school for eight years. She then attended Paton High School and graduated in 1936. After graduation, Eva worked as a waitress in Paton and also worked at the grocery store.
On March 8, 1941, Eva was united in marriage to Glenn Blair at the Presbyterian parsonage in Paton. They were the parents of two children, Jerry and Richard. They made their home on a farm near Paton, where they lived until retiring in 1989. They then moved into Paton.
Eva had many hobbies including quilting and crocheting afghans. She was an incredible cook, and her home was one of the few places you could get a fresh baked apple or cherry pie in the middle of winter. She enjoyed doing word searches and crossword puzzles, and she logged many miles walking around her home community of Paton. She especially loved spending time with family. She was a member of the Paton Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Women where she served many funeral lunches over the years, and was an elder in the church.
Eva was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her two sons, Jerry in 1973 and Richard “Yogi” in 2008, and her sister Jessie Shriver.
She is survived by daughter-in-law Pam Blair of Colorado Springs, CO; her sister Doris Mundt of Gowrie; her brother Frank Drayer of Jefferson; her granddaughters Jannette (Jeff) Thrane of Boone, Jackie Blair of Jefferson and Jodi Blair of Paton; grandson Jake (Stef) Schreier of Paton; great-grandchildren Kalen (Britta) Thrane, Colton Thrane, Shanice Blair, Chantel Blair, Taysia Blair, Corbin Blair, Kristen Blair, Brandon Bollig and Madison Schreier; one great-great grandchild, Rhett Thrane; and nieces, nephews and other relative and friends.
