Carold Weldon Bland

Carold Bland, 95, of Unionville, MO, passed away at the Putnam County Memorial Hospital in Unionville on Saturday, June 2, 2018, after a brief stay.

Carold Weldon Bland was born in Stahl, MO, on April 11, 1923, the son of Harley August and Sylvia Pearl (Billington) Bland, who preceded him in death. He graduated from Unionville High School in 1941 and then joined the United States Army in 1942. He served with the 12th Armored Division as a turret gunner on a tank, mostly doing reconnaissance. He earned several honors and distinctions and was honorably discharged in 1945 after sustaining an injury in the line of duty. Carold’s WWII experiences were very important to him and he loved to tell and write stories of his adventures. He was a lifetime member of the VFW, the American Legion, the Disabled Veterans of America and the Blind Vets.

Carold returned to college after the war and attended Iowa State University where he earned his elementary teacher’s certificate. However, he never taught school and instead began a long and varied working career. He started at KWWL, a radio station in Waterloo, IA, but he also owned and operated the Lodestar Shoe Store, was an insurance adjuster and supervisor for Hawkeye Insurance, and a building inspector for the city of Kirksville when he retired in 1985. Carold married Doris Sievert on May 1, 1965, and they became a good team. Doris was especially wonderful as Carold’s health declined in the last years before his death. They moved to Unionville in 2010 and she survives.

Carold was a man of wide and diverse interests. He wrote articles and books about his war experiences and his family. He liked to hunt and fish and he was an avid arrowhead hunter. He love to spend time with his family. Carold was a wonderful husband and good Dad. He always liked to take on a new challenge and learn new things. He liked to paint and had an open and friendly personality. He was a joiner and in addition to his veteran’s associations, he was a member of the Society of Grapho Analysis, the Sons of the American Revolution, and the First Christian Church in Unionville, where he was baptized. Carold loved the Lord and lived a good Christian life.

In addition to Doris, Carold is survived by his children: Rodger (Tanya) Bland, Green City, MO; Connie (Rodney) Olson, Unionville, MO; Charles “Andy” (Bonnie) Bland, Cameron, MO; and Greg (Terri) Bland, Carlsbad, NM. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren, as well as a brother, Bill (Sally) Bland of Sedalia, MO; and two sisters, Evelyn Richardson of Unionville, MO; and Marjorie Anderson of Holden, MO.

Carold was also preceded in death by two brothers, Dale and Harley Dean; two brothers-in-law, George Richardson and Harold Anderson; a sister-in-law, Darlene Bland; a grandson, Corey Bland; two nephews Mark and Vince Bland; and a niece, Melody Choate.

Funeral services for Carold Bland will be held at Playle and Collins Family Funeral Home in Unionville, MO, at 10:00 am on Thursday, June 7, with visitation from 6:00 – 8:00 pm on Wednesday, June 6. Interment will be at the Lone Pine Cemetery in Putnam County.

Memorials are suggested to the Disabled American Veterans and may be entrusted with Playle and Collins Family Funeral Home, 709 S. 27th St., Unionville, MO 63565.