TAHLEQUAH -- Services for Mary Margaret Blackard, age 72, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 14, 2010, at First Baptist Church in Tahlequah. Rev. Buddy Hunt, Rev. David Blake, and Jerry Hawkins will preside. Musical selections will be provided by the Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma. Interment will follow at Molly Field Cemetery near the Illinois River.

Formal visitation will be held at the Hart Funeral Home, Tuesday, April 13, 2010, from 6-8 p.m.

Mary Margaret Blackard was born Dec. 27, 1937, in Jenks, the daughter of the late Leslie Albert Trent and Eartha Della (Blankenship) Trent. She received her early education at Hopewell, Edison and Washington Elementary schools in Muskogee, attended Alice Robertson Junior High in Muskogee and Horace Mann JHS in Tulsa. Mary attended Tulsa Central High school and Clarksville High school in Clarksville, Ark. She attended Northeastern State University and received her bachelor's of science in Business, majoring in tourism management; she minored in accounting.

Mary married Bill Blackard on Aug. 19, 1955, in Tulsa. While in Tulsa, Mary worked at Hawk's Dairy, Ann's Bakery and Brenner's Men's Store business office. Mary and Bill were owners and managers of Arrowhead Camp on the Illinois River for 19 years and Pine Valley Cabins for 12 years. Mary was former vice president of Guy Engineering Corp. in Tulsa.

Over the years, Mary gave generously of her time to many organizations. She was a member of the PAC Board for the Bill Willis Community Mental Health Center. She also served as president of the Family Advisory Council at Eastern State Hospital; was honored in 1990 for outstanding service as a volunteer at New Beginnings Club House in Tulsa; and served as treasurer and membership chair of the Tulsa Business and Professional Women's Club organization.

Mary was a former member of the American Association of University Women, Tahlequah branch, and she served as hostess for the annual tour of homes. While a member of Faith Baptist Church, she served as a Sunday school teacher, church clerk, soloist and member of the  finance committee. In recent years, Mary was a member of the First Baptist Church in Tahlequah and sang with the 350 - Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma choir.

Mary Blackard departed this life on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at her home in Tahlequah at the age of 72 years. Her husband, Bill, and a great-grandson held each of her hands. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, James Carroll Trent; and by one half-sister, Patsy Hosmer.

Survivors include her loving husband of 54 years, Bill; three daughters, Angela Swift and husband Mark of Tulsa, Dawn Fisher and husband Jim of Albuquerque, N.M. and Lorrie Friet and husband Jay of San Diego, Calif.; two sons, Hurley Blackard of Tahlequah and Edward Blackard and wife Penny of Russellville, Ark.; half-sister, Wanda Godwin of Calgary, Canada and half-brother, J.R. Trent and wife Colline of Muskogee; seven grandchildren, Jimmy Fisher and wife Alicia, Wendy (Fisher) Anglin and husband Tom, Nicole (Bointy) Walls and husband Jimmy, Kristen (Swift) Torbett and husband Kent, Emily Blackard, Nicholas Blackard and William Friet; four great-grandchildren, Patrick Bointy, James, Lacey and Sara Fisher; as well as numerous other relatives and friends.

The family requests that those wishing to make memorial donations do so to the First Baptist Church Children's Ministry, 221 S. Commercial Road, Tahlequah, Okla., 74464.

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