Elton "Buck" Blackman

Funeral services for Mr. Elton (Buck) Blackman, 76, of Columbia, LA will be on February 18, 2011 at Grayson Baptist Church at 2:00 PM with Dr. Alan Miller, Rev. James Carson, and Rev. Paul Pearson officiating. Interment will follow at Welcome Home Cemetery under the direction of Riser Funeral Home in Columbia, LA. Mr. Blackman was born March 30, 1934 in Jena, LA to the union of Jess and Lodie McGuffee Blackman. He went to be with the Lord after a long, hard battle with heart disease, on February 16, 2011 at St. Francis Hospital in Monroe, LA. "Buck" was a very special person and he was very much loved by everyone that knew him. He loved his church and church family. He was a faithful and loyal Christian and a Deacon for 30 years at Grayson Baptist Church. He was a wonderful husband to his wife, Doris, and father to his daughters, Patty and Libby and a wonderful grandfather to his grandchildren whom he loved dearly. After graduating at Grayson High School, he studied at LSU before serving in the Korean Conflict. Upon his return from Korea, he attended Northeast Louisiana University. In 1961, he began working for General Electric Company in Monroe, LA as a manager and contractor sales. He worked there until bad health forced an early retirement. Mr. Blackman was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Jesse and Bill Blackman; brother-in-law, Bud Smith; and sister-in-law, Billie Blackman; Survivors include his wife Doris of 56 beautiful years; daughters, Patty B. Rentz and husband, Joe of Grayson, LA; Libby B. Pipes and husband Scott of Monroe, LA grandchildren, Jesse Hall of Ft. Walton Beach, FL; Justin Hall of Grayson, LA; Elizabeth, Ben, and Mary C. Pipes of Monroe, LA; sister Alice Winegeart and husband Robert of Jonesville, LA; sisters-in-law, Juanita Blackman of Monroe, LA and Wanda Smith of Clarks, LA; Helen Patton of Denham Springs; Nieces, Gail, Clara, and Debra Blackman of Monroe, LA; Cathy Young of Dallas, TX; Robin Edwards of Jonesville, LA; Barbara Mertens of Ball, LA; nephews, Bill, Jr. Blackman of Ball, LA; Bruce Blackman of Orlando, FL; Stephanie Ducote of Baton Rouge; Dana and Steely Smith of Clarks, LA; many loving great nieces and a host of friends. Pallbearers will be grandsons- Jesse and Justin Hall, Ron Wyant, Craig Allbritton, Terry Johnston, and Lyn Meredith. Honorary pallbearers will be Jon McClanahan, Orvis Watson, Eugene Dupree and all the Deacons of Grayson Baptist Church. Visitation will be at Riser Funeral Home Thursday from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM and Friday at Grayson Baptist Church at 10:00 AM until service time. The family would like to thank all the doctors who cared for Elton and the ICU attendants who tended him at St. Francis Hospital. You may send online condolences to the Blackman family at www.riserfuneralhomes.com.