Tony Blauvelt

The Heart of the Eastside, and EFWBA Past-President Tony Blauvelt, passed away suddenly Sunday, January 6, 2019.

Tony retired from his Edward Jones Financial Advisor position several years ago, leaving the company in the excellent hands of his business partner nephew, Charlie Blauvelt.

In his retirement,Tony traveled and became even more involved in the various service organizations here on the Eastside: Handley Meadowbrook Lions Club, East Fort Worth Business Association, Breakfast Optimists Club, Sunshine Rotary Club, and his beloved church, Fielder Road Baptist Church. (And probably a few more I dont know about!)

 After graduating college, he worked in Las Vegas for several years and enjoyed his frequent visits each year to play blackjack. He always claimed he never lost money in LV and had a system that was foolproof. He always joked that he could eat anything he wanted, whenever he wanted, and would never gain a pound.

Tony, a past-president and active board member, was "THE MAN" at the Handley-Meadowbrook Lions Club for getting the most number of disabled children to attend the week long Lion's Camp in Kerrville, Texas. His efforts has made the HM Lions Club Number One in the State for children sponsored, no small feat in a state this size. He helped conduct the weekly meetings at the Lions Club. Tony was chief cheerleader for the annual Lion's club Chili Supper and Community Auction.

Tony was very active in the East Fort Worth Business Association. He was a Past-President of the club, and at every meeting, he personally greeted every guest with his big smile and firm handshake, and newcomers were instantly friends.

He sponsored a table for 8 every year at the EFWBA Outstanding Awards & Scholarship Banquet, and was a Major Sponsor in the club's activities to enhance Education on the Eastside, for Scholarships and school library books.

Tony was a past-president of the Breakfast Optimist Club of East Fort Worth and regularly attended the group's weekly 7 a.m. breakfast meetings at Dixie House Cafe. He actively participated in all the Club's activities, including the patriotic flag distribution program on five flag holidays each year.

The Arlington Sunrise Rotary Club, meets every Friday at 6:45am and Tony was there to work.

Pastor Jerry Morris at Fielder Road Baptist Church, who will be conducting the funeral service, said "Tony was a faithful servant, there every Sunday to welcome visitors and members, and he was always smiling." Tony was an active member of his Seniors Sunday School group and he started a breakfast club for men that met at the Rise & Shine Diner at 6:30am the first Sunday of every month.

You look at this brief summary of his life, and you wonder, when did he sleep?

Vistiation and Services

Visitation will be Sunday, January 13, from 2:00 to 5:00pm at Wade Funeral Home, 4140 W. Pioneer Pkwy, Arlington, 76013.

Funeral Services will be Monday, January 14 at NOON at Fielder Road Baptist Church, 2011 S Fielder Rd, Arlington, TX 76013.

Tony had a true Servant's heart and will be dearly missed in all the organizations he was a member of, as he touched so many lives for the better.

Our deepest condolences to his family and business family.

Bus to Lion’s Camp

Check in at 7:00am. Bus Leaves at 7:30am on Sunday June 10, 2018

Check in at: Lions Club Building

6013 Craig Street, Fort Worth, TX 76112

Last minute calls: Tony Blauvelt at 817.261.7254

or Bill Cummings 817.713.3277

Bring With You:

 o Check In Forms & Check-Out Forms

 o Picnic Lunch, Lions will provide drinks

 o Luggage

 o Medicines. Pack that separately

 o Lion’s will provide: Name tags, Luggage tags, Medicine tags & Camp Room Numbers

Dear Parent or Guardian:

We will be returning to camp by bus on Friday, June 15 at 10:00am to pick up the children. You are invited to ride with us. We will eat on the way, check into our hotel in Kerrville, (Kerrville Econolodge, 830-896-1711) and be at camp to watch the campers graduate at 7:30pm Friday evening. Our hotel group rate is $79.08, which includes tax. The hotel provides a Complimentary Breakfast on Saturday morning. You will need to call the Hotel to make your own room reservations and payment by June 8 to get the group rate.   (Reservations can be canceled 48 hours in advance.) The group rate reservations is under the name of Tony Blauvelt, Handley-Meadowbrook Lions Club.

Call today! Rooms book fast! Kerrville Econolodge, 2105 Sidney Baker Blvd, Kerrville TX.  1-830-896-1711.

We will spend the night Friday at our hotel in Kerrville, while the children spend their final night at camp. We will go to camp, pick up the children and leave Saturday morning, June 10. We should arrive back at the Lions Club 6013 Craig Street, by 2:00pm Saturday, June 16.

If you plan to go with us, you need to get your reservations in right away, as the rooms will be gone, and the bus will be full. Contact Tony or Bill by June 8th if you plan to ride the bus and stay in the hotel with us.

Directions for Parents who want to drive/follow the bus from the Lion’s Club to the camp in Kerrville:

The bus will take Chisholm Trail Parkway (a toll road) south to Hwy. 67.  Hwy 67 South becomes Hwy 220. Hwy. 220 South becomes Hwy. 281. Turn west on  Hwy 84 in Evant. Go South on Hwy 16 (in Goldwaite), going all the way into Kerrville.

Our first rest stop is in Hico, for about 15 minutes a the Wrangler’s Convenience / EXXON station.

Our second stop is at Mill Pond Park in San Saba for about 45 minutes for lunch. After we picnic in San Saba we drive straight through to Kerrville, arriving at Camp around 2:00pm. If you miss the bus, you can catch up with us at these stops, or meet us at Camp.

Thanks!

Tony Blauvelt         Bill Cummings

817.261.7254          817.713.3277

For 59 years, Sam was a dedicated member of the Handley Meadowbrook Lions Club, where he served in various offices including President. As a Lion, Sam received numerous awards, most notably the Lion of the Year Award and the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship. Sam was instrumental in the construction of the current HMLC building and was a long-standing, highly respected member of the board.

Sam was President of the Interlochen HOA while living in Interlochen prior to moving to his ranch near Rhome. Sam enjoyed riding horses, cattle ranching, hunting and fishing, and was an avid golfer. As a member of the Meadowbrook Wranglers Riding Club, Sam loved competing in horseback events, winning numerous awards and trophies.

Sam was a member of Glen Garden Country Club and later a longtime member of Woodhaven Golf and Country Club. Sam had seven holes-in-one during his golfing "career" and shot his age or better 877 times. After Juanita's passing in November 2017, Sam continued to live at their Rhome ranch until his own passing. He had retired from active cattle ranching, but played golf and attended the Lions Club until the end.

Sam will be dearly missed as he is now absent from the body and present with the Lord. He was preceded in death by his wife of 72 years, Juanita Mansell Frankenfield; father, Samuel Lewis Frankenfield, Sr.; mother, Blanche Shaw Frankenfield Cozart; sister, Sara Margaret Plaxco; brother, Robert E. "Bob" Frankenfield.

SURVIVORS: Sam is survived by daughter Jan McNicholas and husband Mike of Hurst, son Samuel Frankenfield III and wife Suzan of Fort Worth, grandchildren Shaye Baber, Michael Todd McNicholas and Christopher Watson and wife Jessica, and great grandchildren Samantha, Savanah, Meagan and Sydney.

© Published in Star-Telegram on May 31, 2018

NAVY WEEK

Handley-Meadowbrook Lions Club was thrilled to host Rear Admiral Rebecca McCormick-Boyle, Commander, Navy Medicine Education and Training Command as their special guest speaker on Wednesday, October 25.

She brought several other Navy officers to mingle with the guests and answer questions about the Navy.

Lions also provided display space for Richard Don Simms, a Navy man himself, and his photo album of his father's Navy service in World War II.

The Military Museum of Fort Worth, located at 2501 Rodeo Plaza, FW 76164, provided the display of Uniforms and other historical military gear.  learn more about this museum at www.militarymuseumfortworth.org.

Pancake Breakfast — Saturday September 30, 2017

Early on Sunday morning, as in 5:30am early, Handley Meadowbrook Lions Club  members were set up to check in a bus load of very excited youngsters going away for a whole week of Lion's camp – designed just for special needs children. Janine Thomas, Carol Hughes, Tony Blauvelt, Willie Vercher, Dennis Stanley, Bill Cummings, David Majors, and John Smith were ready for the kids to start arriving! Tony Blauvelt said to recognize Chris Porter, who is "our favorite driver with Dan Dipert," was there to load suitcases, wheelchairs & gear and the children, and  drove us to Kerrville & back.

First to arrive before the sun rose, was Jessica, who came with her grandpa.  Jessica, 15, is deaf, this will be her 4th time to attend camp. She was super excited to go, as she missed camp last summer because she had surgery to get a Cochlear device and was still in the hospital recuperating.

Her favorite camp activity is Archery, and gym classes. Camp has taught her self-respect & helped her make new friends. In her session 2 years ago, there were about 10 other deaf teens, as well as a dozen younger campers who are deaf.

Delaney, age 9, was the last one to get checked in. From a distance, I thought she had on fun knee socks. Um, no, fun paint job legs. Up close, I saw she has dual hearing aides. Watching her walk toward the bus with her mom, I observed a little one with grit & determination to "stand on her own 2 legs."  At the entrance to the bus, the driver saw that she could not get up the stairs, so he just scooped her up to carry her on board. She was all smiles and ready to go!

This year, the parents and grandparents did good, not one of them was crying as the bus pulled out!

For more than 15 years, the Handley-Meadowbrook Lions Club has hosted multiple fund raising events: chili suppers & auctions, fish frys, and more, all to raise money to sponsor children to attend a full week of camp, plus the bus rides to get them there and back.

The Handley-Meadowbrook Lions Club has sponsored 819 children the past 15 years, which keeps the club ranked as Number 1 in the state! All of the 900 Lions Clubs in Texas sponsor  children for camp. Since 1953, more than 67,000 special needs children have attended Lions camp.

The Lion's camp is located in Kerrville, TX and is for children with health issues or physical disabilities. The Texas Lions Camp, now in it’s 62nd year, has the capacity to hold 250 campers at each weekly session. Participants (depending on their individual abilities), enjoy activities such as arts, crafts, music, drama, cookouts, hiking, swimming, canoeing, horseback riding, fishing and much more. There is one counselor for every two campers, plus the camp has a fully equipped infirmary and trained medical staff.

Special needs children, who may be blind, deaf, diabetics, mobility impaired, have prosthetic limbs, Down's syndrome and other developmental challenges, are all welcomed with cheers and high-fives when they arrive at the camp. The excitement these children have at reuniting with a favorite counselor, or a friend from another part of the state is obvious– from the big hugs to squeals of delight.

Camp graduates are so enthusiastic they often return in subsequent years, until they reach the maximum age limit. Quite a number of the camp counselors, now young adults in college, were once campers themselves! They lead by example, and the self confidence is instilled in the new youngsters, who return from camp more confident and mature.

If you are a parent of a child with illness or disabilities, the Lions are looking for YOU, and your child. The Lions Clubs invite you to call and learn how your physically disabled child (including vision/hearing impairment, diabetes or Down’s syndrome) might qualify for a free week of Summer Camp at the Texas Lions Camp.

The Lions work closely with schools, and other organizations to identify those children who might qualify to attend a fun-filled, challenging week at camp in Kerrville, in the heart of the beautiful Hill Country. Naturally, the Lions Clubs pay all expenses and even provide transportation.

Call Tony Blauvelt, Bus Chairman 817-261-7254, as soon as possible!  You’ll get answers to your questions and an application form to use to determine eligibility. The camping sessions begin in June, so it is important to start the application process NOW for next year!