Blanche Ackerman Curtess. God took His sweetest 87-year-old Valentine at 7:44 am on February 14, 2011. Our Mom was born on September 16, 1923 in Oklahoma City to Fred J. Ackerman and Anna Hilligoss Ackerman. She was preceded in death by her husband of 36 years, Edson J. Curtess, Jr.; two sisters (Mickey Loman and Charlotte Dyer, both of Kansas City, MO); and two brothers (Fred Ackerman of Houston, TX and John Ackerman of Denver, CO). Our Mom was the typical 1950s/1960s housewife as portrayed on TV during these years (minus the pearls and heels). She did not work outside the home but worked successfully to provide a happy and healthy home life for her family. She kept the house clean, the washing and ironing done, and dinner was at 5:00 pm because that's when Daddy got home. She was an excellent cook, and Sunday dinner was roast, gravy, mashed potatoes and all the fixins. She was an excellent seamstress and sewed clothes for my dollies and made a lot of my school clothes as well as formal wear. Once my brother and I were in school, she joined a bowling league during the day but was always home before we got home from school. She loved this sport and bowled for many years to come and traveled to many bowling tournaments across the US. She was scorekeeper for my brother's baseball team in grade school, and Daddy was one of the coaches. At Christmas time, she always made sure my brother and I had the same number of presents under the tree because as soon as we got home from school, we would count them. She enjoyed watching football and basketball on TV, especially OU. It is only fitting that God allowed our Mom and her beloved sister, Charlotte, to go almost hand in hand to Heaven only two weeks and four days apart. They were as close as two peas in a pod and even favored each other in looks. During WWII, they both worked at Quartz Laboratories in Kansas City, MO. One worked the day shift and the other the night shift. They looked so much alike that some thought it was the same person working both shifts. Even though they were separated by miles, their hearts were one. Our Mom was the best Mom in the whole wide world, and she will forever be loved and missed by her children, Sherri Curtess Taylor and Steven Curtess (Arlene); her grandchildren, Traci Canon Pangonas (Timber), Tricia Canon Prince (Craig), Nathan Curtess, Billie Curtess McDaniel (Jack), Stephanie Curtess and Justin Taylor; and her great-grandchildren, (Traci) Jacob and Mark Biggie, Alexa and T.J. Pangonas, Canon and Cayman Prince and Jackson McDaniel. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews in the Kansas City, MO area, a niece and family in Naperville, IL and a niece and family in Norman, OK. A special thanks to Crossroads Hospice for providing excellent care prior to our Mom's passing. A special thanks to Mom's next door neighbors, Brian and Tina Anderson who looked out for Mom and will miss visiting with her on her front porch come spring. Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, February 16th, at 11:00am, at Resthaven Memory Gardens, located at 104th and S. Western.