Patsy Joyce (McClaugherty) Blend
Patsy Joyce (McClaugherty) Blend, 83, died June 22, 2010. She was born Aug. 6, 1926, in the Sandia Community of Jim Wells County (at the time Nueces County) to James E. McClaugherty and Ella (Brumme) McClaugherty.
They were pioneer families of Guadalupe County. The McClaughertys came to Guadalupe County in 1853 from Virginia and the Brummes from Germany in the 1840s.
When a part of the Wade ranch near Sandia was sold, both families moved to the Nueces River in the Sandia community in the early 1900s.
She graduated from Mathis High School in 1943 and attended Texas A&I University and later the Southern Baptist School of Nursing in New Orleans, where she graduated in 1948.
She married John F. Blend of Brooklyn, New York, in December 1948 in New Orleans.
She was a resident of Burnet since 1973 and retired from the Shepperd Memorial Hospital in Burnet after 20 years of service as a registered nurse. She was a member of Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church and the Pen Chat Club. She was a passionate reader and advocate of reading and literacy. She enjoyed traveling and Texas history and took many trips photographing the courthouses of Texas and nearly completed taking them all.
She was a longtime member and current president of the Friends of the Herman Brown Free Library.
She volunteered countless hours working with the Library Thrift Shop in Burnet.
She was also a committee member of the new library project and the Burnet County Library Advisory Board.
Survivors include her children Terry Rauschuber of Tomball, Jim Blend and wife Tama of San Antonio, John Blend and wife Lori of Burnet, and Peggy Blend of Burnet; grandchildren Beth Lidiak of Kerrville, Adam Rauschuber of Austin, Paige Blend Hansel of San Antonio, Jenna Blend of Austin, J.B. Blend of San Antonio, and Jennifer Blend, Kinzee Blend and Trevor Blend, all of Burnet; great-grandchildren Taylor and Brynn Lidiak of Kerrville; sister-in-law Virginia Blend of New York; brother-in-law Nicky Blend of Fredericksburg, Va.; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters and their husbands Margaret Sayre and Albert of Ohio, Leona Nichols and Everett of Lampasas, Eleanor Wilson and R.W. of San Antonio; and niece Ruth Ella Nichols of Lampasas.
A rosary will be recited 10 a.m. June 24 at the Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 306 E. Polk St. in Burnet, (512) 756-2222.
A funeral mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. June 25 at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church. Interment will follow at the Post Mountain Cemetery.
Pallbearers include J.B. Blend, Adam Rauschuber, Trevor Blend, Lance Lidiak, Brad Hansel, Jim Blend and John Blend. Honorary pallbearers are granddaughters Beth Lidiak, Paige Blend Hansel, Jenna Blend, Jennifer Blend, and Kinzee Blend, and family friends Robert Levens and Gary Rauschuber.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Herman Brown Free Library, 100 E. Washington St. in Burnet.
Condolences may be offered by visiting www.clementswilcoxburnet.com.