Blanche Epps Obituary (1933

Blanche Epps was born on July 14, 1932 in Kershaw County South Carolina to Jacob and Mildred Bufford. She graduated from Kershaw County High School and she attended Juliard School of Music in New York. She later moved to Philadelphia and married John Epps Jr. and they had three children John, Annette, and Robert. While raising her children she was an active member of her community and taught choreography and arts in the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Later she became a Master Gardener through the Penn State University, College of Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension. She was an active community gardener working with young and old and with the disabled and the blind. She received numerous awards and commendations from the Philadelphia Horticultural Society and 4-H Clubs and was actively involved in the Philadelphia Flower Show. Blanche was a prolific storyteller and she later taught in the Philadelphia Folklore Project. Blanche was an avid collector and has memorabilia that spans seven decades from the sixties to the present. Her home is a veritable museum of arts and crafts, collectibles and photographs. Her doll collection is legendary and people from all over the world have acquired her hand made dolls including the Philadelphia Doll Museum. She was popular with her neighbors and would often sit on the porch enjoying their comings and goings after her gardening career. She made many trips to the Pennsylvania Dutch Lancaster farming area and enjoyed shopping at the Reading Terminal Market and the many outlets in the area. She loved funnel cakes. She is survived by her husband John and children. Her son John Jr. is married to Faye Riddle and has three daughters Erica, Kimberly, and Tamika and three stepsons Terry, Douglas and Jason. He has seven grandchildren Jasmine, Taniyah, Desean, Desiree, Tierra, Jeffrey, and Mia. Her daughter Annette is married to Richard Reid and has two sons Tracey and Richard. Tracey is the parent of Rasheed, Theosha, Tracey Jr., Tranai, Tavon, Treyonna, Tre-on and Ramon. Richard is the father of Brianna, Michelle, Nashyara, Richard V. and Basir. Her son Robert is the father of Kimtasha and stepdaughter Vera Ann.