Mildred Arnold Blankenship, 89, of Hot Springs passed away Wednesday, March 7, 2007.

Born in 1917 in the Macey community near Monette, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Rosalie McDonal Arnold.

Mildred lived in Jonesboro and Corning before moving to Heber Springs with her late husband, Tucker Blankenship, in 1975. She was a life-long Methodist, always active in her church and its programs, serving as an officer in various women's organizations and adding her beautiful soprano voice to the choir.

Mildred loved to travel, and through the years she and Tucker toured and did business in countries such as Japan, China and Mexico and traveling for pleasure in Europe and the Caribbean.

Mildred, after the death of Tucker in 1979, continued to live in Heber Springs where she greatly enjoyed a host of friends, especially those members of her bridge club.

Mildred was preceded in death by her husband, Tucker Blankenship, and brothers James A. "Jimmy" Arnold, Gene E. "Bo" Arnold and John M. Arnold.

Survivors include one son, Charles Blankenship of Heber Springs; one granddaughter, Charlotte Blankenship Griffith of Jonesboro and her mother Marolyn Robbins-Guarr; her great-granddaughter, Katherine Tubbs of Memphis; granddaughters Ashley Blankenship and Gretchen Humphries; and sisters Rosalie Patterson, Barbara Huffstickler and Polly Ferguson of St. Louis, Mo.

Funeral services were held in the First United Methodist Church of Heber Springs Thursday with Bro David Bush officiating. Interment followed in Cleburne County Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were William H. Humphries, Benny Hargrove, A.B. Carnathan, Rick York and Jim Ligon. Jerry Morris served as honorary pallbearer.

Those wishing to make memorials are asked to consider the Mildred Blankenship Memorial Fund at Heber Springs State Bank, in care of Bill Lynch, for the Mildred Blankenship Memorial at the Baptist Medical Center of Heber Springs.