Roll Call Tribute
Truman Blum '56 May 3, 2012 8:13 AM
Published in Waco Tribune-Herald on May 3, 2012
Truman Otis Blum
Truman Blum, of Clifton, died April 20, 2012. Memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in the Trinity Lutheran Church, in Clifton. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 4, at the Clifton Funeral Home in Clifton.
Truman was born Nov. 16, 1934, in rural Hamilton County near Jonesboro, Texas. He was the youngest of five children born to Herman Carl Blum and Everline (Strickland) Blum. Truman attended public school at Cranfills Gap, Texas, where he graduated as valedictorian. Truman was raised in a Christian home and a God loving community. He was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Clifton, where he served in various capacities and played bells in the bell choir under the direction of his wife, Carolyn.
He attended Tarleton State College where he was commander of the ROTC honor guard and a member of the Wainwright Rifles drill team. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1957 with a BS degree in Agricultural Engineering and a commission in the United States Army, antiaircraft artillery branch. He served active military duty at Ft. Bliss and a number of years in the Army Reserves. Truman worked for 31 years for Union Carbide Corp manufacturing chemicals and plastics as an engineer, and was manager at locations in Texas, Louisiana and Cubatao Brazil. He also worked as Chemicals and Plastics manager for equipment reliability and technology management before retiring as manger of Energy Systems at the Texas City, Texas plant. Following initial retirement he worked as a consultant for Galveston County Water Authority, The Enron Power Corp and Hickson Dan Chem.
Truman served two years on the Clifton city council before serving seven years as Mayor of Clifton. It was during this time that he lead the city to have a surface water treating facility designed and built. He was honored for his community service by the Texas Senate in 2003 and 2007, and by the City of Clifton naming the surface water facility after him in 2007 during a special day set aside in his honor. He also lead the city to design and build a state of the art waste water treatment plant to meet and exceed state requirements, and to improve water quality in the Bosque River.
Truman served on the Galveston County Water Authority industrial advisory committee, the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Bosque River Advisory Committee, The Brazos G. Regional Water Planning Group, the Heart of Texas Council of Governments, the Brazos River Authority Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors of the Clifton Lutheran Sunset Home.
Truman was preceded in death by a son, Charles Robert Blum.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carolyn Rose Sealock Blum; and a daughter, Cynthia Lynn Blum Hill and husband, Gary, of Grand Prairie; two grandsons, Milton and Nathan Barnum.
Memorials may be made to a charity of your choice.
Clifton Funeral Home, 254-675-8611
November 16, 1934 - April 20, 2012
Sign the Guest Book at www.wacotrib.com
Truman Otis Blum
Truman Blum, of Clifton, died April 20, 2012. Memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in the Trinity Lutheran Church, in Clifton. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 4, at the Clifton Funeral Home in Clifton.
Truman was born Nov. 16, 1934, in rural Hamilton County near Jonesboro, Texas. He was the youngest of five children born to Herman Carl Blum and Everline (Strickland) Blum. Truman attended public school at Cranfills Gap, Texas, where he graduated as valedictorian. Truman was raised in a Christian home and a God loving community. He was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Clifton, where he served in various capacities and played bells in the bell choir under the direction of his wife, Carolyn.
He attended Tarleton State College where he was commander of the ROTC honor guard and a member of the Wainwright Rifles drill team. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1957 with a BS degree in Agricultural Engineering and a commission in the United States Army, antiaircraft artillery branch. He served active military duty at Ft. Bliss and a number of years in the Army Reserves. Truman worked for 31 years for Union Carbide Corp manufacturing chemicals and plastics as an engineer, and was manager at locations in Texas, Louisiana and Cubatao Brazil. He also worked as Chemicals and Plastics manager for equipment reliability and technology management before retiring as manger of Energy Systems at the Texas City, Texas plant. Following initial retirement he worked as a consultant for Galveston County Water Authority, The Enron Power Corp and Hickson Dan Chem.
Truman served two years on the Clifton city council before serving seven years as Mayor of Clifton. It was during this time that he lead the city to have a surface water treating facility designed and built. He was honored for his community service by the Texas Senate in 2003 and 2007, and by the City of Clifton naming the surface water facility after him in 2007 during a special day set aside in his honor. He also lead the city to design and build a state of the art waste water treatment plant to meet and exceed state requirements, and to improve water quality in the Bosque River.
Truman served on the Galveston County Water Authority industrial advisory committee, the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Bosque River Advisory Committee, The Brazos G. Regional Water Planning Group, the Heart of Texas Council of Governments, the Brazos River Authority Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors of the Clifton Lutheran Sunset Home.
Truman was preceded in death by a son, Charles Robert Blum.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carolyn Rose Sealock Blum; and a daughter, Cynthia Lynn Blum Hill and husband, Gary, of Grand Prairie; two grandsons, Milton and Nathan Barnum.
Memorials may be made to a charity of your choice.
Clifton Funeral Home, 254-675-8611
November 16, 1934 - April 20, 2012
Sign the Guest Book at www.wacotrib.com
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