Charlie Edward Blaschke

Charlie Edward Blaschke, of Wirtz, passed away Feb. 3 at the age of 93. His life is being remembered at a memorial service on March 19 at the EastLake Community Church, of Moneta, where Mr. Blaschke was a devoted member of the congregation for several years. Mr. Blaschke was a firm believer in the virtues of hard work, service to family and country, and the power of faith and prayer.

Mr. Blaschke was born on Oct. 30, 1929, at the family farm near Schulenberg, Texas. He grew up on the farm with his parents and nine siblings during the Great Depression before they moved to Houston during World War II. Mr. Blaschke joined the U.S. Army in 1946 and served with U.S. occupation forces in Germany while still a teenager. He later saw combat during the Korean War. Mr. Blaschke went on to serve two more tours in Germany, another posting to Korea, and two tours in Ft. Hood, Texas. During his second stint at Ft. Hood, he was in the first cohort selected by the Army for promotion to Command Sergeant Major.

After his retirement from the Army in 1968, Mr. Blaschke, along with his wife, Barbara, and children, settled in the Conroe, TX area, where he soon entered the retail grocery business. He owned and operated a grocery store in north Houston, before building and managing for many years a grocery store near Conroe. After retiring from the grocery business, Charlie and Barbara lived in several locations in Texas and Virginia. They traveled often in the U.S. and around the world, to visit relatives and friends and sightsee. They also devoted extensive work to researching family genealogy.

Mr. Blaschke was preceded in death by Barbara, with whom he shared 53 years of marriage. His second wife, Joann, died after six years of marriage. He is survived by his brother, Eugene Blaschke of Texas, his daughter, Karen Cole of Virginia, his son, Brent Blaschke of Texas, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Charlie and Joann will be interred, joining Barbara, at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio on June 9.

Memorial services with Military Honors will be conducted at EastLake Community Church, Moneta, 4:00 p.m. Sunday, March 19, 2023. Arrangements by Flora Funeral Service and Cremation Center, Rocky Mount/Smith Mtn. Lake.