Hicks Bernice Blasingame

Hicks Bernice Blasingame, 96 passed away peacefully on Friday, December 8, 2017. Born in Royal Hill Arkansas on February 8, 1921, he was the second of nine children to the late Leonard and Lois Pickard Blasingame. In 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a military policeman. He later used his gift of working with animals to train war dogs. Following WWII, he stayed in the Air Force Reserves until 1957. While stationed in Dalhart, Texas (1942), a beautiful young woman from Des Moines, New Mexico caught his eye. Hicks and Pauline Cottrell married in 1944 and have spent the past 73 years walking side by side on life's journey. They spent the first 26 years of marriage in Houston, Texas where they had one daughter, Patricia Ann. In 1970, Hicks longed to leave city life and return to Arkansas. He mapped out his dream of breeding Charolais cattle and thus the Circle 21 Farm and Ranch was formed. Over the next 47 years he produced, showed and sold registered Charolais cattle not only in Arkansas, but throughout the US. One of the greatest joys he had was helping young people learn the responsibilities of working with cattle. Often, he provided calves for them to prepare and show in local and state fairs. At the age of 90, he decided to retire from breeding cattle but his love for animals continued, especially for Kit and Blue. He was a proud WWII veteran and thoroughly enjoyed going to Washington DC on the Flight of Honor to pay his respects to the National World War II Memorial. He was also proud of his accomplishments over the past 76 years in the Masonic order. He was Past Master of El Paso Masonic Lodge #65, a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason and former District Deputy Grand Master. He was a member of the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association (White County) and a faithful member of Park Hill Baptist Church-North Little Rock. He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Pauline Blasingame of El Paso; one daughter, Patricia (Mark) Thompson of Clemmons, North Carolina; two grandsons, Duane L. Thompson of Armagosa Valley, Nevada and Marshall M. Thompson of Taos, New Mexico; two brothers, Johnnie Bee (Dorothy) Blasingame and Bobby Lewis (Lenita) Blasingame; one sister, Sallie Jo Blasingame Samuelson of Knoxville Tennessee and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. Hicks was preceded in death by his brothers, Dewitt Blasingame and Dannie Mack Blasingame. A special thanks to family and friends in the El Paso community, Amedisys Home Therapy and Beebe Retirement Center. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Friday, December 15, 2017 at Smith-Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe, Arkansas. Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Saturday, December 16, 2017 at Smith-Westbrook Funeral Home, with interment at Blasingame Cemetery in El Paso, Arkansas. www.smithfamilycares.com