Edna Earle Bland

Funeral services for Edna Earle Bland, 86, of Rosenberg will be held at 10:00 A. M., Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at Calvary Baptist Church in Rosenberg with Rev. Byron Williamson and Dr. John Lockhart officiating. Interment will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Rosenberg. Visitation will be held from 6:00 P. M. until 8:00 P. M., Tuesday, September 1, 2009 in the Chapel of Davis-Greenlawn Funeral Home in Rosenberg. Edna Earle was born May 28, 1923 in Crawford, Texas to Roland and Grace Brown Barnard. She passed away Sunday, August 30, 2009 in Richmond. At an early age Edna Earle moved with her family to Houston. She graduated from Lamar High School in Houston and attended Oklahoma A&M now Oklahoma State University. She married Cleo C. Bland on October 10, 1942. They lived in the Almeda Community until 1970, when they moved to Rosenberg. Edna Earle was a homemaker and a very talented seamstress. She enjoyed sewing clothes and costumes for her children and grandchildren. She taught her daughters to sew and she enjoyed sewing and making quilts with them for family members. She was a devoted wife and mother. She loved taking care of her family and always made sure she had one of her delicious pies and plenty of fried chicken and chicken fried steak for them to eat. Throughout the school years of her children Edna Earle was devoted to being involved in their classroom and extra-curricular activities. That enthusiasm and devotion continued in attending the activities of her treasured grandchildren. She thoroughly enjoyed being an "Aggie Grandmother." Along with her daughters Mary Sue and Kathy, she made a Texas A&M quilt for each of her Aggie grandchildren. The highlight of 2008 was the birth of her first great-grandchild, Morgan Ann. Morgan's visits to the nursing home lifted her spirits, as her health began to fail. Edna Earle and Cleo spent their retirement years at their second home at Caney Creek. They enjoyed fishing an the new friends they met. After Cleo passed away, Edna Earle filled her life with traveling with her daughters and being involved with her grandchildren. She began attending Calvary Baptist and especially enjoyed singing and traveling with her friends in the Golden Heirs Choir and her Sunday School Class. She saw her 2 grandsons off to war for a total of 4 deployments and saw them return safely home. She followed Laura's "dancing career" and attended every function she could. Edna Earle was preceded in death by her husband, Cleo C. Bland; parents, Roland and Grace Barnard; and sister, Betty Lou Barnard. She is survived by her daughters Mary Sue James and husband Steve of Brenham and Kathy Bland of Rosenberg; son Clayton Bland and wife Pam of Richmond; grandchildren Clayton Bland, Jr. and fiancé Janice Gould of Brunswick, Maine, Hunter Bland and wife Cayla of Fort Worth, and Laura Farnsworth and husband Steven of Katy; great-grandchildren Morgan Ann Farnsworth and Baby Farnsworth due in March; along with other family and friends. Pallbearers will include Steve James, Hunter Bland, Steven Farnsworth, Lawrence R "Trey" Morgan, III, J. R. Mitchell and Owen Jeske. Honorary pallbearers are Clayton Bland, Jr., Lawrence R. "Cotton" Morgan, Ed McColl, Sr. and Felix Cupit. Memorial donations may be made in Edna Earle's name to the Golden Heirs Senior Choir of Calvary Baptist Church, 4111 Airport Avenue in Rosenberg, Texas 77471.

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Edna Earle Bland

May 28, 1923 - August 30, 2009