Obituary: Edwin Keith Blackmon | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Edwin Keith Blackmon, age 85, of School Street, Killbuck, N.Y., died suddenly Monday, July 11, 2011, at Olean General Hospital, Olean, N.Y.

    Born on June 20, 1926, in Salamanca, N.Y., he was the son of the late John & Myrtle Barry Blackmon. He was married in Great Valley, N.Y., on May 19, 2007, to the former Shirley Smith Case who survives. Previously, he had been married to the former Margaret Field who predeceased him on Oct. 6, 1995.

    Mr. Blackmon served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946 in Delaware and New Jersey. He was employed in the lumber industry for over 40 years and was employed at the former Fancher Furniture Company, Ethan Allan, Jamestown Table Top and Salamanca Lumber. He retired for the last time in September 2010.

    Keith was a well-known musician in this area and was accomplished on the guitar, banjo, keyboard and piano. He volunteered at five area nursing homes with his band which included his twin brother, Edward Blackmon, Ernie & Stella Weller and Edward Wagner. Along with these volunteers were a square dance group that also performed for the nursing home residents. One square dance at each session included a wheelchair dance that was performed by the square dancers and the residents in wheelchairs. This dance was created by Keith. Keith completed a square dance book with 317 square dances with instructions for each dance. Keith also played with Jack Harter’s Band and created his own band called “The Happy Faces.” He gathered a large collection of sheet music. He developed many sing-a-long books for volunteers/participants. He completed a genealogy of his family that dates back to two passengers on the Mayflower, Thomas Rogers and Richard Warren. He was the Volunteer of the Year for the Cattaraugus County Dept. of Aging for 2005.

    He was a member of the American Legion Hughes-Skiba Post #535 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars John F. Ahrens Post #5296.

    Surviving besides his wife are: his children, Maurice Patterson, Bradford, Penn., Kirk (Joyce) Blackmon, Washington, N.C., Matthew (Terri) Blackmon, Washington, N.C., Debra (Ken) Summers, Columbia, S.C.; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; eight stepchildren; 20 step-grandchildren; 11 step-great-grandchildren; a brother, John (Bernice) Blackmon, Rochester, N.Y. He was predeceased by a twin brother, Edward Blackmon in 2009.

    Friends may call from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the O’Rourke & O’Rourke Inc. Funeral Home, 25 River St., Salamanca, N.Y. Funeral services will be held in the funeral home on Friday at 11 a.m. with pastor William McNeil of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Olean, N.Y., officiating.

    Full military honors will be conducted by members of the American Legion Hughes-Skiba Post #535 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars John F. Ahrens Post #5296.

    Burial will be in Mt. Prospect Cemetery, Franklinville, N.Y.

    E-condolences can be sent to john@orourke-orourke.com or posted to facebook.com/onofh.