Mrs. B.F. Blanton celebrated her 98th birthday anniversary Saturday at her home on South Bond street.  During the day a number of friends   called to extend congratulations and best wishes.  She was born August 4, 1847 in Rutherford County, Tennessee (sic - should read North Carolina).  Mr. and Mrs. Blanton came to Texas in 1871 and resided in the Bethel community, south of Whitewright, for over 50 years.  They moved to Whitewright in 1930.  Mr. Blanton died in 1935.  They were married in 1865.  Mrs. Blanton still has good eyesight and good hearing and is still able to be about her home and do minor jobs about the house.

.... in the same paper in the "Locals" column were the following comments:
 Mrs. E.S. Blanton of Tishomingo, Okla, was a recent guest in the home of Mrs. B.F. Blanton.... W.A. Blanton of Oklahoma City and Mrs. W.A. Badgett of Denison spent the weekend here visiting their mother, Mrs. B.F. Blanton, who celebrated her 98th birthday Saturday.

Unknown newspaper
(copy for transcription provided by Dorothy Latimer,Trenton, Texas)
blanks indicate torn places in the newspaper clipping from which this story was transcribed

MRS. JULIA BLANTON RECALLS FOUR WARS ON 98th BIRTHDAY

Mrs. Julia Blanton of Whitewright, mother of Mrs. Walter Badgett, 1317 South Mirick, quietly celebrated her ninety-eighth birthday Aug. 4, and recalled four
wars in her experiences of almost a century, three-quarters of which have been spent in Grayson and Fannin Counties.  Beginning with the War Between the States, her experiences extend through the Spanish-American War and World War I to the present conflict in which she has grandsons, great-grandsons and great-great grandsons in the service.  Born Aug. 4, 1847, in Rutherford County, N.C., on a farm near Broad River, Mrs. Blanton was 16 years old when the War Between the States disrupted her way of life. He father had to leave his family and join the Confederate Army, leaving his wife and six children.  He served two years in the army, and was taken prisoner just before the end of the war ____ which delayed his return six months.  The interrupted Julia's ______nance, too.  She was engaged to _____Ben Blanton, who lived ______ Broad River, but their wedding plans were postponed two _____ until the fall of 1865, be____ of his service in the army.  

A FRIGHTENING INCIDENT
During the war years Julia and her mother and family worked night and day to survive.  She remembers working at the spinning wheel and loom, plowing in the field, of chopping and hoeing their crops and of swapping a yard of __eans, made at home for one bushel of corn to be ground into meal for food.  One incident Mrs. Blanton particularly remembers was the day two men rode to their house on two fat, sleek horses. She realized they were Yankees or guerrillas .  No Confederate owned fat horses.  They demanded loudly to know if there were any women there, and Julia slipped out the back door as quickly and quietly as she could and ran down the road to a nearby mill, which was operated by ____ uncle, the only man in the neighborhood exempt from service ____ operate the grist mill, Julia kept ____ even after the horsemen ___________ to her rescue with a gun.  The horsemen turned and rode away for, says Julia, "they were afraid of men.  

IN WAGON TRAIN
After her marriage she lived on a farm in Rutherford until 1871 when they came to Texas in a nine-wagon train, which traveled 11 weeks through Georgia and Louisiana to reach Fannin County and settle near relatives at Ely.  Later the couple moved to Pilot Grove to start the farming career in Texas. They became successful land owners, and Mr. Blanton operated a gin at the Bethel community.  They moved to Whitewright in 1930, and Mr.. Blanton died there in 1935 at the age of 92.  Mrs. Blanton's hobby for many years has been the piecing of quilts.  She made all the quilts required for her family.  Other hobbies were horseback riding and cooking, an art in which she excelled.  Until three years ago, she made pies or all occasions.  Last week she was most anxious to make a tie for her birthday.  "I've done a heap of cooking in my time, " she says, "and a lot of cooking for hands on the farm, but I always did like to make pies."  She never saw a cook-stove or used one _____ she came to Texas.____________learned to cook on a ____ and in a fireplace.  "But what's the difference?", she asked, "it's what you cook that matters."  The latest in culinary equipment hasn't bothered her.  She contends, it's the recipes that count.  

BELIEVES IN COOPERATION
Mrs. Blanton is the mother of ten children, five of whom have died.  Children are Mrs. Badgett, Mrs.. Addie Sweatt, who resides with her mother, Albert Blanton, Oklahoma City; Jim Blanton, Lubbock; and Jesse Blanton, Houston.  She has more than 30 grand -children and many great-grandchildren and great great grandchildren.
A member of the First Baptist Church for many years, she received over 100 cards and gifts from her church friends on her birthday. "Wars are hard on women", she said, "but they will always do their share." She always has.