Family and friends will gather to celebrate the life of Bland E. Harper at 3:00 p.m. today at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers in Lubbock. Committal services will be at 2:00 p.m. Sat. Dec. 10, 2011 in the Greenleaf Cemetery, Brownwood, Tx. Our beloved Bland went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011.
He was born on Oct. 3, 1924 to Bland E. and Anna Harper in Brownwood. He served in the South Pacific during WWII as a Marine from the Philippines to Iwo Jima. Bland retired from Air National Guard in 1984 as a Chief Warrant Officer IV after serving almost 30 years in the Marines, Army, Army Reserves and National Guard. He developed a housing area in Brownwood and later owned property and casualty claims adjusting companies in Odessa and Lubbock. Bland married Donna Sammons in Nov. 1945 and they had three children. Donna preceded him in death and in June, 2002, he married Jeanette Holtzclaw and gained three more daughters.
Survivors include his wife, Jeanette; daughter, Janell Lawrence; daughter, Debbie Rose-McDaniel; a son, Bland Harper and wife Sheryl; daughter, Lori Evans and husband Gary; daughter, Debbie McRorey and husband Joe; daughter, Marty Dalton and husband Bobby; and daughter Mary Mitchell; 15 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren; brother, Bob Harper and wife Polly and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials are suggested to Southwest Cancer Center, 602 Indiana Ave., Lubbock, Texas, 79415.
To view Bland’s memorial and service tributes visit, www.memorialdesigners.net.