Bessie “Marie” Blanchard passed away September 8, 2024, peacefully and surrounded by love at home in Carson City. She was 89 years young.
A native Nevadan, Marie was born in Reno to James Ray and Mamie Nell Middleton on August 29, 1935. At the young age of 9, Marie learned how to sew on her grandmothers sewing machine and acquired a love for making clothes for herself through school. During her school years, Marie developed many lifelong friendships that continued to grow over the years. She graduated from Sparks High School in 1954.
Marie married the love of her life, Edwin A Blanchard on January 15, 1955. They had two children, Don and Lynda. Marie cherished her role of loving mother to their two children and in July 1960, she and Ed moved their young family from Sparks to Carson City.
Marie was an accomplished seamstress and made clothes for her children and enjoyed upholstering and restoring furniture and antiques. She had her own tailoring business and taught herself how to make professional draperies and started her own business working out of her home. Marie made professional draperies for families in the community for several years.
Marie worked for First National Bank as vault teller in 1973 and 1974. In 1975 she went to work for the Nevada State Employees Federal Credit Union until 1984 when she retired as loan supervisor. She was elected to the credit union board of directors and served for two,
three-year terms. Ed and Marie were very active in the community and in 1990, she was the secretary/treasurer for the Nevada Day Committee which she held for several years.
Ed and Marie enjoyed taking the family camping as often as possible and had a couple of favorite areas to pitch their tent with the family. As the kids got a little older, they loved to travel and spend time at their beloved Tahoe Timber Trails home away from home campsite, before and after they retired. Marie was elected to the Board of Directors of Tahoe Timber Trails as secretary/treasurer in 1984. In 1993, Marie was appointed as chairman of the by-law and policy committee and served in that capacity for 10 years.
Ed and Marie also traveled across the United States and Canada in their motorhome and went on cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands. Marie went on a trip to Vienna Austria that she said was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Marie deeply cherished all her family and was dearly loved by everyone. She is known for her kindness and ability to share her love and make all she met feel like family. Marie had a daily goal of being kind, putting a smile on someone’s face and doing at least one good deed. She exceeded those goals several times each day. She is greatly missed every minute of every day.
Marie is now with our Lord and has been reunited with her husband and the love of her life, Ed, her beloved son Don and her parents, Ray and Nell.
Marie is survived by her daughter Lynda Anderson and husband Steve, daughter-in-law Judy Blanchard and sister Lynda Hatzenbiler. Marie’s precious grandchildren are Chris Anderson (Sarah); Heather Carroll (David) and Jeremy Carsten. Marie was very proud of her great-grandchildren: Kaitlyn Anderson and Ryan Anderson, Colton Carroll and Peyton Carroll. Marie’s survivors also include extensive family of many nieces and great nieces, nephews and
great nephews, cousins and in-laws.
A Memorial Service for Marie Blanchard will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Carson City, NV.