Ray Blankinship ESTER

The funeral service for Ray Blankinship Ester, 84, of Carrier will be 10:00 a.m. Tuesday February 19, 2008, at the Willow View United Methodist Church with Rev. Lesly Broad-bent officiating. Burial will follow in Rose Hill Cemetery under the direction of Ladu-sau-Evans Funeral Home. Visitation will be 6:30-7:30 Monday evening at the funeral home.

He was born September 25, 1923, in Enid to Elmer Ester and Ida Blankinship Ester and died Friday February 15, 2008, in Enid.

He was raised and lived in Carrier. Ray attended Phillips University and then served in Europe in the Corps of Engineers in the military police during World War II. He owned and operated Broadview Farms in Carrier where his shorthorn cattle won many championships throughout the five state area of Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. He was the winner of the Rural Rotatory trophy in 1940. Annual field days and sales were held with the Elmer Ester award given to an outstanding shorthorn breeder enrolled in 4-H or FFA. Ray served as past president of Oklahoma Shorthorn Association, Northern Okla-homa Shorthorn Association and Rural Rotatory. He has served as director of the Kansas-Oklahoma and the five State Shorthorn Association, also as advisor for the Oklahoma Junior Shorthorn Association. He was a member of the Enid American Legion Post. He was a bus driver for Chisholm School District for 25 years.