Roberta 'Bobbi' Blankenship

Roberta Ann “Bobbi” Blankenship passed away Thursday, February 16, 2012 at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was 73 years old.

Bobbi was born on March 6, 1938, to Walter Thomas and Violet Stell “Dell” (Seitz) Blankenship in Cheyenne County, Kansas. She attended various rural schools and Benkelman High School.

In February of 1955, she was united in marriage to Malvin Steele in Bird City, Kansas. To this union five children were born, Roberta Lynn “Bobbie”, Annabelle Lee “Annie”, Malvin B. “Bud”, Roxanne Marie “Roxie”, and Betty Jo “Jo”.

Bobbie moved to Sterling, CO in 1970. She later moved to Crook, CO where she was owner and operator of a bar for 30 years until it burned in February of 2010. She then moved to Sidney, NE for just over a year until her health started to decline and she moved to Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook in June of 2011.

Preceding her in death were her parents, Walter Blankenship and Dell (Blankenship) Ditton; daughter, Roxie Steele; step-father, Kelly Ditton; sister and brother-in-law, Ruby and Pete Terry; and infant brother, Timothy Blankenship.

Survivors include her son, Bud Steele and wife, Linda, of Burwell, NE; daughters, Bobbie and husband, Rick Gohl, and Annie and husband, Bud Kehler, all of Culbertson, and Jo McCormick of Ovid, CO; siblings, Georgie and husband, Dick Seybold, of Trenton, Tom Blankenship and wife, Carrie, of Phoenix, AZ, Judy and husband, Bob Clark, of Benkelman, June and husband, Mike Nothaus of Palisade and Evelyn Blankenship of Trenton; 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren; and numerous friends in Colorado and Sidney.

Memorials may be given in her name.

A memorial service will be Monday, February 20, 2012, 2:00 p.m., MT, at the Benkelman Senior Center with Family and Friends sharing and reminiscing. Inurnment will be in the Benkelman Cemetery.

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