Colleen Caselman

Colleen was born September 24, 1940, in Stambaugh, Kentucky, to Jay and Betsy Blankenship. Colleen is preceded in death by her mother and father, and her husband, Tom Caselman. Colleen is also preceded in death by her half-brother Bill Tom Blankenship, and first cousin, Billy Stambaugh. Her beloved aunts, Rose Cantrell and Erie Holland, and her uncles Delmar, Ted, Stallard and Leonard Blankenship also precede her in death.

Colleen and her family lost their Aunt Erie Holland just eight months ago. Aunt Erie didn’t have children, but was a mother to all of her nieces and nephews.

She grew up with her sisters, Betty Blankenship Hess and Mae Blankenship Hubbard. In her childhood years, her extended family was her cousins; Frances, Polly, Betsy, Phillip, Mabel, and Charles, children of her Aunt Rose Stambaugh Cantrell; and her cousins Bob, Jim and Billy, sons of her Uncle Russell Stambaugh. Colleen had a close relationship with all her cousins, but she had a special place in her heart for Polly, her same-age cousin with whom she shared so much.

Colleen dearly loved her nieces and nephews; Kim, Debbie, Alison and Andrew. She never wanted to miss an opportunity to share in their lives, whether it was a wedding, birth of child, a birthday party or a little dance recital. Colleen was deeply proud of her great-nieces, Chelsea, Megan, Madison and great nephew, Dylan.

Colleen grew up in many areas of Kentucky. Moving was normal and required of her father, who was a coal miner. Her years in Kentucky were full of memories of the families getting together and visiting the Stambaugh farm, where her mother was born. The cousins never lived far and weekends were looked forward to for those special visits.

Attending church was part of the family habit and Colleen really liked singing in church with her sisters, Betty and Mae. They sang in church in their younger years and continued to sing and harmonize any time they got together.

After her father left the coal mines because of lung problems, the family moved to Ohio for a short time, until Colleen graduated high school. Her family then moved to Tucson, Arizona, for her father and sister’s health, but especially to be near to her mother’s sister, Erie.

After settling in Arizona and a brief career with the phone company, Colleen wanted to travel and see the world...and that, she did! She was accepted by American Airlines as a stewardess, and she was on her way to a new world. It was difficult for Colleen to leave home as she was so very close to her mother, father, and sisters, but off to New York she went. And her new career was ahead!

Colleen worked from New York, Chicago, Dallas and San Diego bases and flew on everything from propeller aircraft to the biggest double-decker jumbo jets! In her last years she flew only international flights as #1 Purser position and was over approximately ten other attendants. This was a big responsibility, but Colleen was the best at her job and was up to this responsibility and she loved what she did. Colleen had so many experiences and stories to share about her 43 years in the air…from flying charter military flights during the Viet Nam War to the many dignitaries and stars she so graciously served on board.

Her sister, Mae, joined Colleen in the airlines and lived with her in New York during a short career. One of her fondest memories was working the same flight and with their two name tags showing proudly in the front of the airplane: “C. Blankenship and M. Blankenship.”

At the end of Colleen’s 43-year long career, her sisters, Betty and Mae, were able to go on her final flight to Hawaii. She worked a flawlessly beautiful flight. The crew surprised her with an intercom announcement for her retirement flight and everyone on board gave her a big ovation. The crew, hotel personnel and so many friends honored her as she retired and we were proud to share this beautiful memory.

Midway in Colleen’s career, she met and married Tom Caselman, a retired Lt. Colonel in the Air Force. They shared fifteen years together in San Diego, but never had children. After the marriage, Colleen transferred to Dallas where she could work many different international flights. At this time she learned that her maternal grandfather’s farm was for sale in Stambaugh, Kentucky. This was her mother’s “Home Place” and where her grandparents settled from Germany. It was not only her mother’s birthplace, but also her own. The history of the Stambaugh family was very important to Colleen. When she acquired the farm...again, a new life for her began.

Colleen’s dream was to make the farm a place for the entire family to come and enjoy in the same way she did. This was her retreat! She was able to feel planted on the ground after so many years of moving…living in the air; and, as we used to tease her, “living like a gypsy.”

She fell in love with the farm and knew that it needed a lot of work. She believed she was ready for the new challenge. She loved gardening, eating her fresh vegetables, and drinking her well water. This challenge grew into an unbelievable project of remodeling as she added two separate dwellings planned with her family in mind.

Colleen’s family enjoyed trips back to the farm. They especially loved her tours and the in-depth history she shared about the generations that settled there. She felt deeply connected to the land and her family history. Every tree planted, road built, building remodeled was done with great love. As she left her Kentucky home, she left on the farm her horses and dogs which still wait for her return.

“Cokie” fought lupus over the years and won, but she was not able to win her battle with cancer. She never gave up, never lost hope, and never lost her ability to dream. She taught us so much in life, and now in death.

We will truly miss our Beloved Sister, Aunt, Cousin, and Friend. We will always hold a special place in our hearts for our “Cokie.”