Jonibel Trelease Blair

Jonibel Trelease Blair born July 14, 1910 died peacefully in her sleep September 30, 2000. She was 90 years old. She was the former Jonibel Trelease daughter of Sadie Mai Cornelius Trelease and Frank "Skipper" Johnson Trelease. Joniel was born in St. Louis, Missouri at the Presidents home in the Botanical Gardens (formerly Shaw Gardens). Jonibel spent her youth in many areas of the country including Buffalo, New York, Mont Claire, New Jersey and Hot Springs, Arkansas. Jonibel graduated from Mont Claire High School in 1929 and Hood College in Frederick, Maryland in 1933. After graduation she moved with her family to Colorado Springs, Colorado where she enjoyed volunteer work with children and extensive travel with her family. One of her favorite trips was taking the Grace Line from Washington State to Mont Claire, New Jersey traveling through the Panama Canal. Jonibel married Arthur Dayton Blair in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1937. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Blair made their home in Seattle, Washington, St. Louis, Missouri, Evanston,Illinois and Reading, Pennsylvania until settling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1946 where she became the proud mother of Donald Dayton Blair. In 1958 Jonibel and her son moved to Oxford, Maryland where she lived until 1970, when she moved to Easton for the remainder of her life. Jonibel was an Extension Agent in Talbot County for many years attending to the youth of the community. She was also a Social Worker with the AFDC program until retirement in 1975 . Jonibel was the owner of the ''Busy Hands Art and Crafts Store'' in Easton from 1977 until 1989. She enjoyed many artistic hobbies. She studied bird carving with Ed Burns and considered it her favorite hobby. She was featured with many of her bird carving friends in the "Eastern Shore Women Magazine". She was a Past President and former member of the Soropitimist Club in Talbot County and a former member of the Ladies Auxiliary. Jonibel will be missed by her many friends and her devoted and loving son Donald D. Blair, Sr. his wife Kimberley S. Blair and her grandson D.Dayton Blair, Jr of Easton and her niece Sally M. Emery of New York. She is predeceased by her parents, brother Frank Trelease of Cheyenne, Wyoming and sister Jule T. Emery of Baltimore, Maryland. Memorial Services will be held at the Fellows, Helfenbein, & Newnam Funeral Home, Easton on Saturday, October 7th at 2:00 PM. Burial will be private in Oxford Cemetery, Oxford.