Allen Leroy Blair

Our Forgotten Uncle Allen Leroy Blair

Duane Reuben Blair died a tragic and sudden death in March 1949. Few of his nephews and nieces have any recollections of this man. What was Duane's life really all about? Who was he really? Where was he born? Where did he grow up? Where did he go to school? Why was he in the military and which branch of the Armed Forces did he go into and why? What were those experiences in military service like? Where did he travel? Where did he work? Just who was Duane Reuben Blair? On a genealogical chart, Duane's existence might be described only as "the son of William Blair and Nina Emily (Shilston) Blair." But with little more than a crusty, old, brown wallet tucked away by Duane's brother after his death and Duane's extensive military records, one of Duane's nephews Allen Leroy Blair attempts to answer these questions of Duane's life and flesh out his brief, but meaningful existence in Our Forgotten Uncle. For family historians who know him or not, Duane Reuben Blair's story is an excellent example of how to turn dry genealogical documents into compelling reading.