Dorothy Maella Sturdivant Blakeslee

Dorothy M. Sturdivant Blakeslee, 91, formerly of East 33rd. St., went to be united with her family on Monday morning April 5, 2010 at Golden Living Walnut Creek following a brief illness. A resident of Erie all of her life she was born on August 17, 1918 in a rural homestead on Route 20 in North East, Twp. a daughter of the late Irwin and Ruth Davis Sturdivant.

Dorothy had been deprived of her hearing at an early age but that did not stop her from being an active mom. She enjoyed teaching her children and others with the utmost of morals, as well as cooking, sewing, or just sharing. She enjoyed her family most of all, then came her love of knitting, needlecrafts, plants, traveling, and shopping for others. The last few years she spent her Christmases in Florida at the homes of her grandson, Brian Burek and his wife Susan and her daughter Jaci.

In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Arthur L. Blakeslee who died in 1993; one son, Gerald Alan Blakeslee in 1943; one brother, Robert L. Sturdivant in 2001; and a dear lifelong friend, Mildred Cole Bowers.

Lovingly letting her go are her two remaining sons, Norman "Gene" Blakeslee and his wife Diane of Largo, FL and Ronald C. Blakeslee and his wife Linda of Erie; two daughters, Jacquelynne R. "Jaci" Burek and her husband Tom Palm Harbor, FL, and Carole F. Blakeslee whom she lived with for several years; 12 grandchildren; 21 great grandchildren; and 2 great great grandchildren, Cameron and Makala, with one great great grandchild on the way. Several nieces, nephews, and extended family members also survive.

Friends may call at the Russell C. Schmidt & Son Funeral Home Inc., 5000 Wattsburg Road, Erie, on Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. and are invited to services there on Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. Burial will be in Wales Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the John Kanzius Research Foundation, 1001 State Street, Suite 1400, Erie, 16501 or the Erie Center for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, 2402 Cherry St., Erie, 16502.

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