Resident of North Texas Since 1871 Dies at 91 Years of Age B.F. Blanton, 91, died at his home in Whitewright Saturday at 11 a.m. after an illness of only a few days.  Mr. Blanton was born in North Carolina Nov. 11, 1843, the son of B. E. and Mary Blanton.  He had been a member of the
Baptist church since 15 years of age.  He became a deacon of the church while in North Carolina..
Mr. Blanton and his wife came to Texas from North Carolina in 1871, settling near Ely in Fannin  county, in a log house on 22 acres of land.  They moved to Bethel, Grayson county, in 1876 where they lived until moving to Whitewright in 1930.  Mr. Blanton's grandfather served as a private in
the American revolutionary army and Mr. Blanton served in the Confederate army during the civil war.  Being a retired farmer and ginner Mr. Blanton at one time owned over 500 acres of land and at the time of his death owned 150 acres and his homeplace.  He retired from active farm life five
years ago when he first moved to Whitewright.  He bought his first automobile shortly after his ninety-first birthday last fall.  He and his wife went driving daily in the car, although he did not drive himself but his daughter drove for him daily.  Mr. Blanton and his wife celebrated their sixty-ninth
wedding anniversary last Oct. 12.  Mr. Blanton was the father of 10 children, the following eight of whom are living.  Mrs. W. B. Teal of Vernon, J. S. Blanton, Vernon, J. F. Blanton, Lubbock; C. S. and J.A. Blanton, Whitewright; Mrs. W.A. Badgett, Denison, Mrs. M.C. Sweatt, Fort Gibson, Okla;
and W. A. Blanton, Oklahoma City.

(Researcher's note:  Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Blanton was the son of Benjamin Edward Blanton and Mary Feagans of Rutherford Co., NC.  B. F. "Frank" Blanton and his wife Julia Ann Blanton were not related, yet each was born in Rutherford Co., NC and they shared the same birth surname.)

Whitewright Sun
February 7, 1935
p.8 

B.F. BLANTON - Funeral services for Benjamin Franklin Blanton, 91, were held at 3:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon at the Bethel Baptist Church, 4  miles south of Whitewright, conducted by Rev.J. L. Truett.   He was assisted by Rev. J.R. Hilger  of Greenville, Rev. J. A. Henderson and Rev.
 Atherton of Sherman.  Pallbearers were Orphia Blanton of San Antonio, Roy Blanton, Earl Blanton of Karnak, Houston Blanton, Cecil Blanton of Wichita Falls and Eddie Hemphill of Oklahoma City. Internment was in Bethel Cemetery, the burial service being conducted by the Whitewright Masonic Lodge of which Mr. Blanton was a member. 
Mr. Blanton died at 11 a.m. Saturday at his home here, after an illness of only a few days. 
He was born in North Carolina Nov. 11, 1813, the son of B.E. and Mary Blanton.  He married Miss Julian (sic) Ann Blanton in North Carolina on Oct. `12, 1865, and they came to Texas in 1871 and established their home in the Bethel community where they resided until they moved to Whitewright in 1930.  They celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary last October.  He had been a member of the Baptist of the Baptist Church since the age of 15, and was a charter member of the First Baptist Church of Whitewright.  He helped to organize the Bethel Baptist Church many years ago, and transferred his membership to that church where it had since remained. 
Mr. Blanton is survived by his  wife, three daughters, Mrs. Emma Teel of Vernon, Mrs. Maggie Badgett of Denison, Mrs. Addie Sweat of Fort Gibson, Okla., and five sons, John S. Blanton of Vernon, James F. Blanton of Lubbock, Albert Blanton of Oklahoma City, and Charles S. and Jesse A. Blanton of Whitewright.
Out of town relatives and friends attending the funeral included Mr. and Mrs. J.S. Blanton of Vernon, Mr. and Mrs. James F. Blanton of Lubbock, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Blanton and son of Oklahoma, Mrs. Emma Teel of Vernon, Mrs. Addie Sweat of Fort Gibson, Okla; Walter Badgett and family of Denison, Mr. and Mrs. Claud Stephens and son of Jacksonville, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Blanton and son of Wichita Falls, Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Hemphill and son of Oklahoma City, Mrs. John Arledge of Houston, Mr. and Mrs. Orbia Blanton of San Antonio, Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Williams of Paris, Miss Elizabeth Waggoner of Austin, Earl Blanton of Karnak, and Ernest Blanton of Sherman.

Sherman Democrat
February 21, 1947
p.2
99 YEAR OLD WHITEWRIGHT WOMAN DEAD
Whitewright, Feb. 21 (AP)- A pioneer resident of Grayson county, Mrs. B.F. Blanton, 99, died at her home here Thursday at 9 p.m.  // Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in the Bethel Baptist Church.   The Rev. E.P. Wooten, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Whitewright will officiate.  Burial is in Bethel Cemetery, under the direction of Earnheart Funeral Home. 
Seventy-six years a resident of Grayson county, Mrs. Blanton moved to Ely in 1871, Bethel in 1876, and to Whitewright in 1930 where she has lived since. She was born Aug. 4, 1847 at Rutherford N.C., the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. F. Blanton.  She married B.F. Blanton Oct. 12, 1865 after a three-year engagement at which time Mr. Blanton was engaged in the Civil War.  
Mrs. Blanton was a member of the Baptist Church having joined at an early age.  Her husband held a deaconship in the church ever since his early manhood in North Carolina. 
Surviving Mrs. Blanton are two daughters, Mrs. W.A. Badgett of Denison and Mrs.
Addie Sweat of Whitewright; three sons, J.F. Blanton of Lubbock, J.A. Blanton of Houston and W.A. Blanton of Oklahoma City; 36 grandchildren and a number of great grandchildren. 
Pallbearers at the funeral will be her grandsons.
(Researcher's note:  Julia Ann Blanton was the daughter of Stephen Fletcher Blanton and Sarah McDaniel. Her paternal grandparents were Jeremiah Blanton and Sarah Rebecca Womack of Rutherford Co., NC.)

Whitewright Sun
February 27, 1947
FUNERAL HELD FOR WHITEWRIGHT'S OLDEST CITIZEN