born: Apr 1877, Des Moines, Iowa

occu: newspaper cartoonist

died: 23 Apr 1939, Houston, Harris Co., Texas at his home at 115 West Gardner

bur.: 25 Apr 1939, Houston, Harris Co., Texas

spouse: Florence R.

marr: Abt 1903

born: 14 May 1880, Kansas

died: 23 Jun 1969, Bellaire, Harris Co., Texas

children:

Cleve Theodosa Blessington, b. 19 Dec 1907 OK; d. 18 Dec 1995, Conroe, TX. marr. Ellsworth F. "Jack" Koehler (1900-1981), a WWI vet. 2 Daughters.

Blessington, d. Bef 1910

Jack Albert Blessington, b. 7 Sep 1912, Houston, TX; d. 6 Feb 1976, Irving, TX; marr. Era Kate THORPE (1913-1980). 3 children.

                      |--------
                      |
           |---------
           |          |
           |          |--------
           |
  |------James R. BLESSINGTON (1823, Ireland - 1878, Iowa)
  |        |
  |        |          |--------
  |        |          |
  |        |---------
  |                   |
  |                   |--------
  |
Albert "Bert" BLESSINGTON (1877 - )
  |
  |                   |--------Phenton LAWLOR (Ireland - Ireland)
  |                   |
  |        |---------Patrick LAWLOR (1808, Ireland - 1889, Iowa)
  |        |          |
  |        |          |--------
  |        |
  |------Ann LAWLER (1842, Ireland - 1919,` Texas)
           |
           |          |--------Thomas REED (Ireland - )
           |          |
           |---------Elizabeth REED (1822, Ireland - 1862, Iowa)
                      |
                      |--------Mary FLETCHER ( - )

Bert moved to Dawson Co., Nebraska sometime before 1900. He is listed in the 1900 there as a farm hand. One page away from him in the 1900 census is his first cousin John Blessington and John's wife Rose and their two daughters. Bert's uncle and aunt Joseph and Theresa (Lawler) Burke also moved to that same county in the 1890s.

Bert had moved to Houston, Texas by the time of the 1910 census, and he worked as a newspaper cartoonist there.

Possible photo at http://glennhcurtiss.com/id64.htm

July 24, 1912 Houston Post political cartoon by Bert Blessington

He left the Houston Post in 1932 to work in commercial art. His obituary also describes him as a ``great favorite of school children.'' For more than 10 years, he and Judd Mortimer Lewis visited dozens of Texas schools. Mr. Lewis would tell stories for the children, and Mr. Blessington would illustrate his remarks on the blackboard.

There is a ``Bert Blessington 1876--1956'', buried with his wife Jennie and their son Herbert at Assumption Cemetery in Charlotte, Iowa. I once thought that it was this Albert. But I have since been corrected. According to one of Bert's great-granddaughters, that Bert at Assumption cemetery is Herbert Blessington, a son of John and Mary Ann (Howley) Blessington.

Sources for this individual: @S743@ @S787@ @S1440@