Blaisdell Family National Association Officers, 2005-2010

 

President

Joel E. Blasdel 

How did Joel ever become Jody?  Who knows, but Joel has been Jody since the day he was born, so there you have it!  Jody is the third son of John & Wilma Blasdel, Sr., and the grandson of Walter and Lillian (Jackson) Blasdel.  Jody has two older brothers, John, Jr. and Jeff, and one younger sister, Joan (Blasdel) Erhart.

Jody has lived in Bright, Indiana his entire life.  He and his wife of 26 years, Karen Faye (Schaefer) Blasdel, have three children: Lainey, Jenna and Jared. 

Employed for 25 years by the Tri-Township Water Corporation as the utility manager, Jody oversees the complete operation of the utility and is responsible to provide safe drinking water to the 3500 homes served by TTW.  He is a member of the American Water Works Association and the Alliance of Indiana Rural Water.

Jody enjoys working on the family farm, raising hay and grooming their 93 acres.  His hobbies include operating his bobcat and hauling business.  He also enjoys rabbit hunting.

Very active in his community, Jody is co-founder and co-chair of the annual Bright parade.  He is a member of Integrity Lodge #763, holds a 32^nd degree in the Scottish Rite, and is a member of the Southeastern Indiana Shrine Club.  He also serves on the Dearborn County Community Foundation Scholarship Committee. 

Jody and his family are one of the three families who help to maintain the Cambridge Cemetery, where Lt. Jacob and Ruth (Morse) Blasdel (5.100) are buried.  Jody serves as President of the Lt. Jacob Blasdel Family Association of the BFNA.  In recent years he and Karen have hosted the Association’s annual meeting at their home the second Sunday of August. 

Joel ‘Jody’ E. Blasdel  From: John E. Blasdel, Sr., Walter E. Blasdel, Quincy E. Blasdel, Charles B. Blasdel, Rev. Franklin T. Blasdel, Lt. Enoch Blasdel — (6.228) — and —  

From: John E. Blasdel, Sr., Lilian (Jackson) Blasdel, Nancy J. (Harper) Jackson, William A. Harper, Joseph M. Harper, Sarah B. (Blasdel) (Harper) Chase — (6.234)

 

Vice President

Donald Edward Blasdel

Don, son of Earl Henry and Ruby Jean Blasdel, was born in Centralia, IL, in 1957 and grew up in Wayne City, a small community in Southern Illinois.  He enjoyed hunting and fishing with his father.  He married Christie Lee Richards after high school, and they have two sons, Joseph Edward and Justin Lee.

He began working in his father’s dress factory while still in school.  After high school he continued working for his father and assisting him in managing the family business.  He managed the plant up until 1984.  In 1985 he became manager of Bridal Originals in DuQuoin, IL, where women's formal wear was manufactured until the plant closed in 2002. 

After the Bridal plant closed Don returned to school to complete his education.  In May of 2005 Don received his BS (Summa Cum Laude) in Information System Technologies from Southern Illinois University.

Currently Don is instructing computer science courses at Rend Lake College in Ina, Illinois.  He enjoys hunting and fishing with his brothers, spending time on the family farm, and BBQ cooking competition. 

Don is Vice President of the Illinois Branch of the Blaisdell Family National Association.

Donald Edward Blasdel  From: Earl Henry Blasdel, Jr., Earl Henry Blasdel, Henry Blasdel, John Blasdel, Ambrose Blasdel, Lt. Enoch Blasdel — (6.228)

 

Secretary

Ann Blasdel Hayslett Schultz

Priscilla Ann (Blasdel) Hayslett-Schultz has lived in Golden, CO, since 1981 and is the youngest daughter of Lyle and Opal Blasdel.  She has three adult children: Lisa Annette Hayslett, married to Chris Lynch, Jr., who resides in Golden, CO; Russell Todd Hayslett, a mentally challenged young man; and Kevin Lyle Hayslett.  Both Russell and Kevin live at home.

Since the passing of her husband in December 2001, she has disbanded their janitorial service and works part-time for Jefferson County Elections.  Ann enjoys doing many crafts: sewing, embroidery, cross stitch, knitting, crocheting, photography, and drawing.  She is an avid reader of mysteries, Victorian era fiction, and history. 

A DAR member of the Mt. Lookout Chapter, Golden, CO, she designed and made a wall hanging, which won her first place in the local, state, regional contests and third in the national contest.

Ann is thrilled to be on the BFNA team and wishes to thank Eleanor Blaisdell, Philip Freimann, Jean Barmby and Bruce Barmby for their overwhelming support through all the tribulations of her past.  She looks forward to compiling and cataloging cemetery information to assist the BFNA Genealogist.  She welcomes your comments/suggestions.

Priscilla Ann (Blasdel) Hayslett-Schultz  From: Lyle M. Blasdel, Arthur Chase Blasdel, William Henry Blasdel, Henry Waring Blasdel, Elijah Blasdel — (6.235)

 

Treasurer

Gerald A. Nixon

Gerald Alan Nixon and his wife, Dorothy Lee (Shipley) (Lucas) Nixon, live in Bright, IN.  He is the son of Fay (Blasdel) and Earl Nixon.  Gerald has two children, Connie House and Dave, and three grandchildren. 

Dorothy has three children, Richard, Andrew and Lori Bronner, and five grandchildren.  Gerald has one brother, Glenn, Evanston, IL, and one sister, Janilee Beck, Bright, IN. 

Gerald worked at Procter and Gamble for 36 years.  He was involved in clinical safety testing in the company labs as well as contract research facilities. 

Gerald and Dorothy are active members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lawrenceburg, IN.  Gerald is on the Board of Directors and serves on a grant committee with the Dearborn Community Foundation.  Gerald and Dorothy are one of the families who work to keep the Cambridge Cemetery in good order.  This is the site of several family members, including Lt. Jacob Blasdel.

Gerald is Vice President of the Lt. Jacob Blasdel Family Association.

Gerald Alan Nixon  From: Fay (Blasdel) Nixon, Elbert Blasdel, Sherwood F. Blasdel, John F. Blasdel, Lt. Enoch Blasdel — (6.228)

 

Philip R. Freimann

Genealogist

Philip R. Freimann, born in Chicago in 1942, the second generation of German-Russian immigrants from Katharinenstadt, Russia,  grew up in Waukesha, WI, near his grandparents, Rev. Frederick J. & Frances (Blaisdell) Turner. 

His fascination with family history and genealogy started very early when his grandmother told him about the homesteading days of her parents on an Iowa farm, the coal mining days of southeastern Kansas, and work in the lumber mill in Wisconsin.

He found the Blaisdell Family National Association in 1988 at the Library of Congress.  He is active in a number of genealogical/historical groups and enjoys researching and documenting family history.  Philip has attended each quinquennial since 1990, serving as Associate Genealogist, Vice President, President and now Genealogist.

After graduating from Poynette Christian High School, Poynette, WI, Philip attended Bible colleges in St. Louis and Portland before transferring to Berean/Evangel College, Springfield, MO.  He was credentialed by the Assemblies of God in the early 1980s. 

Philip met his wife, Janice Elaine McGuire-Becher, at church.  Married in 1966, they have three adult children: Rebekah, John and Sarah.  They’ve been active in church music, library and youth ministries.

Philip has been Director of Information Technology at Crane Technologies Group for five years.  Most of his career has been in implementing manufacturing control systems. 

Philip R. Freimann  From : Dorothy (Turner) Freiman, Frank(ie) Marie (Blaisdell) Turner, George Washington Blaisdell, Moses Blaisdell, Oliver Blaisdell, Jr., Oliver Blaisdell — (6.70)

 

 

Vital Statistics Editor

Eleanor P. Blaisdell

Eleanor ‘Ellie’ (Pierce) Blaisdell was born in Providence, RI, and raised in Cranston, RI.  After graduating from Cranston High School and Edgewood Junior College, she worked as assistant office manager for an auto dealer for eight years, then as the office manager of an advertising novelty manufacturer for 14 years. 

Her family moved to Maine in 1970 to be near her mother’s only brother, who had recently lost his wife.  Ellie went to work at Moore Business Forms in the payroll department.  There she met her husband, James E. Blaisdell, Sr., Dover, NH, whose first wife had died in 1978.  In October 1979 they started dating and were married in December 1979.

Since 1985 Ellie has done genealogy for the BFNA.  She writes, “Since Jim’s stroke almost 10 years ago and now my problems with COPD, making it necessary to use oxygen 24/7, doing the necessary things to keep us going doesn’t leave enough time to devote to being your Genealogist. 

“I have had to hand that job over to Philip Freimann, who will do a wonderful job for BFNA.  As long as I can I will continue as Editor of the Vital Statistics.  Thank you for all your help over the years.”     

Eleanor Pierce Blaisdell, w/o James E. Blaisdell, Sr. From: Harold J. Blaisdell, Onslow S., John E. III, Thomas & Mary ‘Polly’ (Blaisdell), Thomas Blaisdell — (6.40)

 

Editor, Blaisdell Papers

R. Carter Blaisdell

Russell Carter Blaisdell, Black Mountain, NC, son of Chaplain (Col.) Russell Lloyd & Viola Evelyn (Hagen) Blaisdell, was born in Chicago and grew up in Spokane, WA, and Richmond, CA.  A graduate of the Univ. of California, Berkeley (BA, History), he met his wife, Anita Fay Cone, at McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago.  They were married in 1964. 

They have four children: David, whose wife is Wei Wei (Zhang) Blaisdell, Rockville, MD; Valerie, married to Garry Presdee, Singapore; Sarah, married to Scott Dittmer, Owasso, OK; and John, whose wife is Courtney (Coffield) Blaisdell, Little Rock, AR.  They have nine grandchildren: Matthew, Christopher and Madeleine Blaisdell; Ethan and Andrew Presdee; Aaron and Steven Dittmer; Rainey and Brandon Blaisdell.

Carter retired as a Presbyterian minister in 2002.  He was a pastor in Lawton, IA, and Portage, WI before becoming Associate Executive for Presbyterian Reformed Ministries, Int’l., Oklahoma City and Black Mountain, NC, 1979-1999.  He published his father’s Memoirs in 2003.

Carter enjoys tennis, duplicate bridge, preaching, choral music and being with family and friends.  He and Anita volunteer as reading tutors to children.  He is Treasurer of the BFNA Southeastern Branch.

Russell Carter Blaisdell  From: Russell L. Blaisdell, John, George Uriah, John, Ephraim III, Ephraim Blaisdell, Jr. — (6.34)

 

 

This is the Executive Committee of the Blaisdell Family National Association.  Elections are held at each quinquennial.

  Current officers serve from the end of one quinquennial to the end of the next one.   Current officers serve 2005-2010.