E. Glenn Blasingame

Glenn Blasingame, 90, passed away with his family by his side on January 23, 2021, after complications from a stroke.

Elbert Glenn Blasingame was born on May 8, 1930 in San Benito, Texas, to Asa and Ella Blasingame. Glenn attended school in San Benito and began work as a cross-country truck driver at age 17, living in places like Idaho, Nebraska and the Texas panhandle. He was later drafted into the Army, spending the majority of his time in Germany. While serving overseas, Glenn and his first wife gave birth to their son, Tollie. After leaving the military in 1955, Glenn went to work at Missouri Pacific Railroad in Harlingen, Texas. A coworker set him up on a blind date with Janet Biddison in late 1956. Glenn and Janet secretly married three months later on January 12, 1957. Together, they raised four children: Danny, Debbie, Diane and Dale.

Glenn retired from Missouri Pacific in 1992 after more than 36 years at the company. Retirement allowed him to travel the state to watch Dale and the Harlingen Cardinals play basketball. Glenn was a day-one fan of the Dallas Cowboys and active in several bowling leagues. He later became a voracious reader of westerns – often finishing a book a day – and enjoyed incredibly difficult crossword puzzles. In the early 2000s, Glenn attended his first Wurstfest, an annual celebration of German heritage, music and food held in New Braunfels, Texas. He never missed a Wurstfest from that point on, becoming friends with his favorite polka musicians, Alex Meixner and Mollie B. In addition, Glenn’s family affectionately called him “the dog whisperer,” and he loved his 24/7 companions – Cocoa, Sammie and Blackjack.

Glenn spent the final four and a half years of his life living with Janet, Debbie and Mark Zimmerman, his son-in-law, in Amarillo. He is survived by his daughters, Debbie Zimmerman (Mark) and Diane; his sons, Tollie and Dale; his grandson, Kyle Wawarosky; his granddaughter, Chelsea Baty; his sister, Peggy Lou; and his many nieces and nephews. Glenn was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Janet; his son, Danny; his parents; his brother, Claude; and his sisters, Betty Jo, Lee Jewel and Patricia.

A small service for family and friends will be held with health precautions in place on Saturday, January 30 at 10 a.m. at Mont Meta Memorial Park in San Benito.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Brauntex Theatre in New Braunfels. Your donation will go toward supporting polka music shows and education. Donations can be made at http://bit.ly/glennblasingame.