1889_Henry Lee Blain

This is a very basic history of my immediate parental family. My name is John Lee Blain and I am the first (born at home) son, April 17, 1943 from the Henry Lee Blain and Martha Jane Eads Randall Blain union. This is a second marriage for both. Dad was born and raised in the surrounding area of Kilbourne, Ohio, mom was raised in nearby Delaware, Ohio. I have 3 half sisters, (Ruth, Dorothy, Marjorie) and one half brother (Bill) from dad's previous marriage to Mae Whitney *Blaine. His first family was nearly grown when mom and dad began their lives together. I have one half brother, David Randall d_09-13-2003, from Mom's previous marriage to Earl Randall. Together, Henry and Martha will have three children, myself, my brother Robert Henry and my sister Judy Belle who was born when Dad was sixty and Mom thirty eight.

Henry Lee Blain; mid teens or early 20ties. Height: 5'8" Weight: 175. Born 11-24-1889 Deceased 08-23-1964 after a long illness of pneumonia. Henry traveled all of Deleware County selling spices for McConnon and was caretaker of the Green Mound Cemetery. He was a jack of all trades besides being the yearly planter of a huge flower and vegetable garden.

Martha Jane Eads Randall Blain, early 20ties. Height: 5'8" Weight: 140 Born 08-20-1911 Deceased 11-19-1975 after a stroke. She was a good mother, gentle and loving. She stayed busy raising 4 children but would relax to enjoy a cold Pepsi while reading some of her favorite books from mystery writers, Ellery Queen, Perry Mason and Agatha Christie.

Dad with my only sister Judy, the youngest of the children. She is about age 5, (b 10/22/1949). Now Judy Belle Blain Vaughan, she is married with 3 children, (David Henry, Gina Kay, and Robert James Vaughan. She also has 2 grandchildren). Judy and Bruce made California their home, right after marriage.

Mom was tall, nearly 5'8". She had a gentle demeanor and a higher pitch to her voice. She would sing to us when we were small, I remember the lullaby's. She was a good cook and had a way with the fresh vegetables from Dad's garden. I developed a real fondness for the potato soup she made.

Dad, looking pretty good here. He was a hard working man all of his life but he kept his good looks. I can remember working in the garden with him and having trouble keeping up. He had the gift of gab salesmen have and would use it on us when we chopped the corn off with the hoe instead of the weeds.
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We moved to Kilbourne when I was about 6 months old, lots of room for kids to play and the gardens dad planted. The picture shows Dad, Mom, David b-11-28-1936, myself (John) b-04-17-1943 and the baby, Bob b-04-20-1944. I look to be about 3 years old here and Bob is about 2. It would be three years before the birth of Judy.

I enlisted for my Vietnam "conflict" tour of duty just after graduation from Elm Valley High School in 1961. My training was radio frequency electronics but my personal field of most interest is the Space program. I married Becky (Rebecca Suzanne Gebert) on New Years eve, 12-31-1967. We raised 2 children, Donald Ray d-1999 and Halie Suzanne Blain Hovenga (married to Mitchell Cameron Hovenga). We have one granddaughter, our little darling, Eden Sierra Hovenga.

Children of: Henry Lee Blain's, first marriage to Mae Whitney. Seated left to right are: Ruth, Marjorie, Herbert (Bill) deceased and Dorothy deceased *Blaine. *Notice Spelling

Henry old French name of Frankish origin, derived from haim and ric, meaning "home ruler"