Brenda Charlien Klutz Blakely

If you are reading this my tasks on earth are done and by God’s grace the victory is won. I am headed to meet the King, the Lord of Lord, my Abba Father God. He has prepared a place for me and as I leave my earthly dwelling and all of the wonderful people and places that have been a part of my life I begin a new and eternal chapter. The task of putting my obit to pen and paper will have to be done by someone so why not me?

I want it to make you laugh, to touch you in so way and make life better. I realize that I started writing my obituary the day I took my first breath. So as the last breath is taken I would like that I will be rec’d with “ Well done, my good and faithful servant.” But I know that is not fully possible and the best I can hope for is “Well old girl, you made it. Flying sometimes by the seat of your pants and sometimes in wry directions but you tried. Sometimes you listened and other times, well, we won’t talk about that since I am a forgiving God.”

I tried my best to live up to my maiden name “Klutz.” But maybe I really didn’t have to. It is very interesting to look back over your life and realize the Truth and sometimes the Truth hurts but God can make it right.

I made the choice, years ago, that I would accept the precious gift and asked Jesus, my Lord and Savior, to pay my sin debt so thatI could live forever with my Father God. Good choice with many blessings. He helped me to live my life, gave me a wonderful family and many precious friends. My childhood was an adventure in grace and I moved into marriage with a scrambled deck. We had adventures, my dear husband and I, that were incredible. God has seen us through some tough and hard times and by His grace we made it through. Sixty years are a long time and a lot can happen and take place. We are grateful.

I enjoyed every moment of being a Mom. And fun as an educator, writer, group home parent and the many other challenging positions God brought into my life to include being a Fad Demonstrator (hula hoops, yoyos, etc.). For the last twenty five (25)+ years being a mentor with AllAboutGod.com and then a Digital Outreach Volunteer with Focus On the Family gave me the opportunity to serve from home and to grow as an individual. Writing the book, “The 11:45 Call” with Joel as coauthor was the biggest challenge of my life. Since we are so different and at opposite poles in our thinking this was nothing short of just another of the miracles in our lives. At the point of writing this I have a few works in progress and a bucket list that may not be realized in this life.

I am set to dine at His table and sing praises unto God from this day forward. I pray that the celebration we prepared, as a gift to our children, will bless them and bring them closer to their creator. As my family worships and makes music that will sound across the river chasm, may the words of the song, “Because He Lives” impacts your lives and the music and words resonate in your hearts, my dear family and friends. Thank you for the sendoff, notes, and flowers, they mean so much as we say, not “goodbye”, but “see you when you get there, I’ll be watching for you”.

Some of you never met all of my family.

After the two of us were joined before God and man and committed “till death do us part” it wasn’t long before baby made three. Our first born Charla (Deborah Charlien), joined us on our journey of life. She bravely took on the task of teaching us to be parents and allowed us to love her. She brought Chris (Christopher Courtenay) Dear into our family and he joined us in keeping us straight and bringing the special joy and love that only the two of them could provide. Life was a blessing and had just started getting really interesting.

Then Sonya Lynn Blakely joined our family and brought her own special love and talents. Then she brought Phillip Jason Putman into our family and added Putman to her name. Their son, Jesse Jonsay Putman, arrived and gave us an opportunity to spend special time with our grandson, so we could learn new things. So many blessings all the way through and special moments.

Darryl Ford Blakely, our first son, brought us the new and special challenge of raising a son. He added many special “boy things” and his own special talent to our lives and the wife he brought into our family, Heidi Lynn Funderburke Blakely gave us three grandsons as she miraculously wrapped babies in God’s love as they took their first breath of air. Christopher Ford Blakely gave us our first experience and joy at being grandparents. Then Benjiman Andrew Blakely joined the group and then Robert Aaron Blakely. As they grew and added to the adventure, they brought wives to increase the love bounty; Rayle, Maddie and Shelby added to the blessings. Drew gave us our first great-grand Addie and then Christopher and Rayle brought sons Greysen and Emmett into the family and Aaron and Shelby gave us Lucy.

Joel Cordelle (known as Dutch) was the next of our blessings. Our son gave us many blessed moments and we are so thankful for him. After his birth we made the move to Mississippi and began the forty+ years of “Desert U.” Our Mississippi roots grew deep and Dutch brought many special people into our lives including his spouse Duie L. Knight. He taught us when he wasn’t even trying.

Brendon Davis (also known as Bun) dubbed by Charla became our “additional blessing” so true. He brought Amanda Kaye Frost Blakely into our family, and she bore us our first granddaughter, Chloe Elizabeth and added to the male family base with Conner Davis Blakely. Additional blessings and joy abounded and words of wisdom of astounding depth amazed and guided us. Again, they taught us without even trying.

Bun and Amanda then blessed us with two additional blessings, Cameron and Kelly Grace Frost. They brought their own special brand of delight.

The Blakely Bunch celebrated, shouted for joy, did family hugs and shared the good, bad, ugly and beautiful, over the mountains and through the valleys, under the guidance and protection of our Father God and the prayers of the matriarch and patriarch of the Blake Family. God increased our horizons as our vertical hold was strengthened at home, on the road and in our spiritual journeys.

The Blakely’s are so thankful for their family.

My Father Charles Garland Klutz, and Mother, Marynette Johnson Klutz Sapp gave me life, for which I am grateful. They preceded me on the eternal journal as did the brother, Elbert Vernon (Bert) Sapp, Jr., whom I prayed for and shared so much of perspective. Likewise, my maternal grandparents Carl Washington (Popie Carl to whom I was Bubba) and Nellie Stowe Johnson (Momie Nell) and my great grand Mollie Elmira Colthrop (Grandma Colthrop) tried to guide me safely through life and preceded me on the heavenly journey.

My sister, Mary Jean Klutz Milford shared our childhood and later brought Ralph Milford into our family. They had three children, who married and have children of their own. From my Father’s side of the family I had grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousins that I regret I never truly got to know. But I am grateful for them. I also have my very own “red headed step sister, Betty Sapp Sykes.

She became my older sister a live demonstration for me to life after you leave home. Her children and their children were almost like siblings to my sister and I.

My in laws Robert Davis (Dutch) and Georgia Blakely and the siblings of my husband, Robert Muriel Blakely, Peggy Jo Blakely Hicks and George Eugene Blakely enriched my life. I got “big” brothers, whoee. They added wives and then children to extend our family as well as many Aunts, Uncles and cousins.

I was blessed to have a few very special and long term friends and one lifelong friend whom I treasure. I thank you to friends and special friends, teachers and pastors, who enriched my life and shared adventures with me. Being a part of the Warrior Women Prayer Group was a special blessing. This challenged me in such a manner and guided me to the throne for special moments and blessings. The experience of prayer in agreement, miracles, breakthroughs, growing and stretching and grace and victory was a lifetime mountaintop experience.

I thank God for my time on earth and pray that I at least accomplished some of God’s plan and as His forgiveness when I failed. I leave you with God’s blessings to each of your and heartfelt thank you.

A funeral service will be held at Natchez National Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.

Memorials may be made to French Camp or the charity of your choice.

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