Wilbur L. Blank , 78, of 524 E. Jefferson St. died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1997, at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria.
Born Aug. 14, 1918, in Monica to Arthur E. and Tillie McIntyre Blank, he married Jane Newman on June 19, 1946, in Princeville. She survives.
Also surviving are five sons, Wayne, Dean and Dale, all of Kewanee, Carl of Peoria and Allen of Geneseo; two daughters, Mrs. Dennis (Diana) Walden of Mission Viejo, Calif., and Mrs. Kenneth (Linda) Kunzman of Carrollton, Texas; one sister, Mrs. Millard (Alice) Forney of Princeville; and one brother, Joe of Princeville. A brother, Paul , died the same day; he also was preceded in death by a brother, Edward, and one granddaughter.
He and his brother, Edward, owned and operated Blank's Repair Shop in Toulon from 1946 until his brother died in 1962. He continued the business until he retired in 1986. After he retired, he and his wife developed and produced the Qwik Orange Peeler, which achieved national attention after being shown by Andy Rooney on "60 Minutes."
A World War II Navy veteran, he served with the Navy Seabees 62nd Battalion. He was a lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8825 and American Legion Post 416 in Toulon.
Burial will be in St. Dominic's Catholic Cemetery in Wyoming, where military rites will be accorded by American Legion Post 416.
Full obit in the Peoria Journal Star - Friday, January 3, 1997.
Born Aug. 14, 1918, in Monica to Arthur E. and Tillie McIntyre Blank, he married Jane Newman on June 19, 1946, in Princeville. She survives.
Also surviving are five sons, Wayne, Dean and Dale, all of Kewanee, Carl of Peoria and Allen of Geneseo; two daughters, Mrs. Dennis (Diana) Walden of Mission Viejo, Calif., and Mrs. Kenneth (Linda) Kunzman of Carrollton, Texas; one sister, Mrs. Millard (Alice) Forney of Princeville; and one brother, Joe of Princeville. A brother, Paul , died the same day; he also was preceded in death by a brother, Edward, and one granddaughter.
He and his brother, Edward, owned and operated Blank's Repair Shop in Toulon from 1946 until his brother died in 1962. He continued the business until he retired in 1986. After he retired, he and his wife developed and produced the Qwik Orange Peeler, which achieved national attention after being shown by Andy Rooney on "60 Minutes."
A World War II Navy veteran, he served with the Navy Seabees 62nd Battalion. He was a lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8825 and American Legion Post 416 in Toulon.
Burial will be in St. Dominic's Catholic Cemetery in Wyoming, where military rites will be accorded by American Legion Post 416.
Full obit in the Peoria Journal Star - Friday, January 3, 1997.
Wilbur L. Blank , 78, of 524 E. Jefferson St. died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1997, at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria.
Born Aug. 14, 1918, in Monica to Arthur E. and Tillie McIntyre Blank, he married Jane Newman on June 19, 1946, in Princeville. She survives.
Also surviving are five sons, Wayne, Dean and Dale, all of Kewanee, Carl of Peoria and Allen of Geneseo; two daughters, Mrs. Dennis (Diana) Walden of Mission Viejo, Calif., and Mrs. Kenneth (Linda) Kunzman of Carrollton, Texas; one sister, Mrs. Millard (Alice) Forney of Princeville; and one brother, Joe of Princeville. A brother, Paul , died the same day; he also was preceded in death by a brother, Edward, and one granddaughter.
He and his brother, Edward, owned and operated Blank's Repair Shop in Toulon from 1946 until his brother died in 1962. He continued the business until he retired in 1986. After he retired, he and his wife developed and produced the Qwik Orange Peeler, which achieved national attention after being shown by Andy Rooney on "60 Minutes."
A World War II Navy veteran, he served with the Navy Seabees 62nd Battalion. He was a lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8825 and American Legion Post 416 in Toulon.
Burial will be in St. Dominic's Catholic Cemetery in Wyoming, where military rites will be accorded by American Legion Post 416.
Full obit in the Peoria Journal Star - Friday, January 3, 1997.
Born Aug. 14, 1918, in Monica to Arthur E. and Tillie McIntyre Blank, he married Jane Newman on June 19, 1946, in Princeville. She survives.
Also surviving are five sons, Wayne, Dean and Dale, all of Kewanee, Carl of Peoria and Allen of Geneseo; two daughters, Mrs. Dennis (Diana) Walden of Mission Viejo, Calif., and Mrs. Kenneth (Linda) Kunzman of Carrollton, Texas; one sister, Mrs. Millard (Alice) Forney of Princeville; and one brother, Joe of Princeville. A brother, Paul , died the same day; he also was preceded in death by a brother, Edward, and one granddaughter.
He and his brother, Edward, owned and operated Blank's Repair Shop in Toulon from 1946 until his brother died in 1962. He continued the business until he retired in 1986. After he retired, he and his wife developed and produced the Qwik Orange Peeler, which achieved national attention after being shown by Andy Rooney on "60 Minutes."
A World War II Navy veteran, he served with the Navy Seabees 62nd Battalion. He was a lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8825 and American Legion Post 416 in Toulon.
Burial will be in St. Dominic's Catholic Cemetery in Wyoming, where military rites will be accorded by American Legion Post 416.
Full obit in the Peoria Journal Star - Friday, January 3, 1997.
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