Jesse "Jess" Otis Blakeney, Sr.

Jesse Otis “Jess” Blakeney, of Mexia, passed away in Mexia on Saturday, October 31, 2020, at age 82, after a long illness.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2020, with visitation from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. before the services, in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Deacon David McDaniel officiating.   Burial will follow in Faulkenberry Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Clayton McDaniel, David McDaniel, Jr., Ben Smith, Hershell Smith, Jr., C. J. Vasquez, and Zachary Matthews.   Honorary pallbearers will be Keith Braunecker, John Diaz, J. R. Norris, John Glenn Blakeney, Heath McDaniel, Jacob Norris McDaniel and Andy Andrade.

Jesse was born November 8, 1937 to Benjamin Franklin Blakeney and Ollie Fean Hamilton in Camp Wood, (Real County,) TX.   He grew up and attended school in Fort Worth.  

Jesse served in the U. S. Army from 1955 through 1957.   He met his future wife after being introduced by a friend in Fort Worth, and they have been together ever since.

Jesse and Dorothy Ogletree were united in marriage on April 15, 1958 in Cleburne.   He was a truck driver, and Dorothy was also a truck driver.  In addition to raising seven children, they spent many hours together on the road, all over the United States, taking turns driving.  The children made some trips with them, sometimes all seven rode in the sleeper together, with picnics at rest stops, and the kids considered these trips great family vacations.    The family had lived at various places as the job changed, including Fort Worth and Abilene.

At one time, Jesse and Dorothy lived in Groesbeck where he worked for Dugan Trailer, during the time they made the first gooseneck trailer.  He also owned a tire shop and a trailer repair shop during his working life, and he could break down a tire by hand faster than men with machines can do now.  He was talented with all kind of mechanical work.

Jesse taught his six girls, as well as his son, how to be self-sufficient in taking care of their cars and depended on them to take care of their Mom while he was gone on week-long road trips.  He could diagnose car troubles over the phone when his daughters called.   He only retired from truck driving about five years ago, but stayed busy in lawn mower repairs, for family and for the public.  He and Dorothy moved to Mexia two years ago.

Jesse was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, James Blakeney and William Blakeney; and his sister, Ima Jean Goforth.

He is survived by his wife of sixty-two years, Dorothy Aline Blakeney of Mexia; daughter and son-in-law, Valerie and David McDaniel of Waco; daughter, Brenda Mora of Mexia; daughter and son-in-law, Johnnie and Drew Roberts of Mexia; daughter, Billie Blakeney of Halifax, VA; daughter, Lynda Tillotson of Loving, TX; daughter and son-in-law, Julie and Hershul Smith, Sr.; and son, Jesse Blakeney, Jr. of Mexia.  His family also includes 21 grandchildren and 70 great grandchildren.   Surviving siblings are his sisters, Helen Kelley and Myrtle Frank; and brothers, Edmond Blakeney and Jerry Blakeney, all of the Fort Worth area.