Jerome Blondell

Jerry Blondell has been a published, senior scientist, specifically an epidemiologist,
He worked for the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Jerry's ancestors were from the British isles and at that time the
family's surname was Blundell. Jerry's ancestor Malachi immigrated to
the United States from Galway County in Ireland in 1834 and was later
followed by his father Anthony a few years later. They lived for a time
in the Baltimore, Maryland area. While the family was in the United
States their surname was changed to Blondell. Jerome is interested in
learning more about Blundell's that immigrated from England to Ireland
prior to 1800.

Jerome has allowed us to post his contact data here so that people who
access this site while working on Blundell/Blondell family research may
have his email address. Jerry (Jerome) Blondell Jerry's father, a Colonel in the U.S. Army and
veteran of WWI, WWII, Korea, (born 1900, died 1982) had researched the
Blondell family name at the Library of Congress and Jerome has some
notes from that research. If you do have questions for Jerry please be
as accurate and as precise as possible. It is helpful to provide names,
locations, and dates (e.g., birth, marriage, death) of any individual
you like to learn about.

And the following is Jerry's truncated biography compiled by his immediate family:

Jerome Blondell, Ph.D., M.P.H. Jerome Blondell was a health statistician/epidemiologist in the pesticides office at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for more than 30 years until his retirement at the end of 2005. He was one of five employees that received EPA’s highest award for implementation of the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard in 1992. The standard required education and notification of pesticide-related risks, emergency transport in the event of poisoning, and improved protective measures for the nation’s farm workers. Dr. Blondell developed a list of pesticides most likely to be a threat during a chemical attack and provided guidance to federal and state officials on means to prevent or respond to these threats more than a year before the September 11, 2001 attacks. The list of pesticides later became part of the list of chemicals of concern that EPA developed to plan for response to chemical attacks or natural disasters involving chemical contamination. Data analysis by Dr. Blondell led to the cancellation of ethyl parathion and mevinphos, two of the most toxic organophosphate (OP) insecticides. OP insecticides are the leading causes of serious poisoning and death from pesticides both in the United States and worldwide. Other analytical work led to curtailment or elimination of threats from arsenical insecticides, strychnine rodenticides, mercurial fungicides, and supported the phase-out of chlorpyrifos and diazinon, the two leading causes of OP poisonings in residential settings. Rates of serious pesticide poisoning have declined an estimated 42% from 1995 to 2004. The decline in OP insecticide poisonings was even greater, 72% over the same period. Based on vital statistics, the rate of accidental pesticide-related deaths has declined 86% from 1980-1 to the 2001-4 time period.

Genealogy

Jerome’s great-grandfather was Malachi Blundell from County Galway on the west coast of Ireland, who came to Baltimore, Maryland in 1834 with his brother Dennis. A cholera epidemic led to emigration from that part of Ireland at that time. Their father and older brother, Anthony and Anthony Jr., followed them to Baltimore about 15 years later, after the great potato famine. At that time, the family was Catholic and the spelling changed to Blondell about 1870. Catholics, who refused to change their religion, were stripped of their lands in eastern Ireland by Oliver Cromwell, leading many to relocate to the west coast around 1653. However, Hardiman’s “History of Galway” (1820) mentions a Blundell family in Galway around the time of the invasion by Henry II in 1171. Connection with Ince Blundell, a small village 8 miles north of Liverpool in the UK, is suspected, where Catholics recusants were known to migrate to Ireland around the 1650s and at other times due to persecution. Blondell Ancestors of Jerome Martin (Jerry) BLONDELL 16 Jun 2007 First Generation 1. Jerome Martin (Jerry) BLONDELL was born on 25 Dec 1949 in Petersburg, Virginia. Second Generation 2. Col. Vernon Jerome BLONDELL was born on 17 Mar 1900 in Baltimore, Maryland. He served in the US Army between 1917 and 1919 in World War I. Worked as a telegraph operator in the Signal Corps and served a year in France overseas. He appeared in the census on 6 Jan 1920 in Baltimore, Maryland, living with his father, William Blondell. In 1924 he was commissioned 2nd lieutenant in the 306th Reserve Cavalry regiment. Between 1920 and 1941 he was also a clerk, librarian, bookkeeper, bank clerk, and bank statistician in Baltimore, Maryland. He served in the Army, 89th Infantry Division in France, Luxemburg, and Germany in World War II and in the military government for Bavaria, Germany for two years after the war. He served in 2nd Logistical Command between 1950 and 1953 in the Korean War. He retired in 1963 in Arlington, Virginia from working in the civil service at the Pentagon. He died on 29 Jul 1982 in Arlington, Virginia. He was buried on 2 Aug 1982 in Arlington National Cemetery. Col. Vernon Jerome BLONDELL and Helen Elizabeth MARTIN were married on 12 Oct 1934 in Baltimore, Maryland. 3. Helen Elizabeth MARTIN was born on 9 Jan 1914 in Bridgeport, Harrison Co., West Virginia. She died of an unknown respiratory-related ailment on 6 Jul 1992 in Arlington, VA. She was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Col. Vernon Jerome BLONDELL and Helen Elizabeth MARTIN had the following children: i. Alice Susan BLONDELL was born on 26 Sep 1935 in Baltimore, MD. ii. John Vernon BLONDELL was born on 29 Jun 1937 in Baltimore, MD. iii. James Harrison BLONDELL was born on 13 Apr 1942 in Clarksburg, WV. 1. iv. Jerome Martin (Jerry) BLONDELL. Third Generation 4. William Henry BLONDELL was born on 9 Nov 1852 in Baltimore, Maryland. Name changes from Blundell to Blondell about 1870. From 1870 to 1925 he was a Watchman, Clerk, Cooper, Messenger. He appeared in the census on 6 Jan 1920 in Baltimore, Maryland. He died on 30 Dec 1925 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was Roman Catholic. William Henry BLONDELL and Alice BAINES were married on 13 Feb 1898 in Baltimore, Maryland. They appeared in the census on 13 Jun 1900 in Baltimore, Maryland, (listed as William H. Blondel). They appeared in the census on 22 Apr 1910 in Baltimore, Maryland. 5. Alice BAINES was born in 1860 in Nansemond Co., Virginia. Her parents both died shortly, 1-2 years, after she was born. She appeared in the census in 1870 in Cypress Chapel, Nansemond Co., Virginia, listed as Alice Baines. Living with Edwin S. and Cornelia K. Rawls who apparently reared her from about one year of age. She appeared in the census in 1880 in Cypress Chapel, Nansemond Co., Virginia. At this point she is listed in Edwin S. and Cornelia K. Rawls household as Alice Rawls. She died of TB on 21 Sep 1914 in Baltimore, Maryland. William Henry BLONDELL and Alice BAINES had the following children: 2. i. Vernon Jerome BLONDELL. Fourth Generation 6. Malachi BLUNDELL was born in 1811 in Cappatagle, County Galway, Ireland where he was baptized on 22 Nov 1812. Godparents: Lewis Blundel & Bridget Garavan. He emigrated on 30 May 1834 from Ireland to Baltimore, Maryland on the Barque Louisa with his brother, Dennis. This was after a cholera outbreak and over a decade before the potato famine. From 1840 to 1888 he was a Conductor, Coach Maker, Tailor, Rents Collector. He was naturalized on 5 Oct 1840. He died of TB on 18 Mar 1888 in Baltimore, MD. He was buried in New Cathedral Cemetery. He was Roman Catholic in the Catholic Cathedral Church. Malachi BLUNDELL and Annie Dolan O'CONNOR were married in 1848. They appeared in the census on 13 Jun 1860 and on 5 Aug 1870 in Baltimore, Maryland. 7. Annie Dolan O'CONNOR was born on 8 Apr 1820 in New York. She died of heart disease and a broken hip (slipped on ice) on 11 Jan 1910 in Baltimore, MD. Malachi BLUNDELL and Annie Dolan O'CONNOR had the following children: i. John A. Blondell was born in 1849 in Baltimore, MD. In 1870 he was a Police Officer in Baltimore, Maryland. He appeared in the census on 5 Aug 1870 in Baltimore, Maryland. Living with Malachi and Anne Blondell. Died 8 Dec 1902 of pneumonia. 4. ii. William Henry BLONDELL. iii. Joseph E. BLUNDELL was born in 1854 in Maryland. iv. Edward J. BLUNDELL was born in 1854. v. George W. BLUNDELL was born in 1856 in Maryland. vi. Agnes BLUNDELL was born in 1862 in Baltimore, Maryland. Fifth Generation 8. Anthony BLUNDEL was born about 1766 in Ireland. He died in Jun 1849 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was buried on 30 Jun 1849. Anthony BLUNDEL and Bridget DONELAN were married in 1804 in Ireland. 9. Bridget DONELAN died on 22 Nov 1825 in Cappatagle, County Galway, Ireland. She was born in Ireland. Anthony BLUNDEL and Bridget DONELAN had the following children: i. Anthony BLUNDEL Jr. was born in 1805 in Cappatagle, County Galway, Ireland. He was baptized on 5 Feb 1807 in Cappatagle, County Galway, Ireland. Godparents: Michael Burn & Anne Costello. He emigrated in 1848 from Ireland with his father. He died on 18 Oct 1867 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was buried on 20 Oct 1867. He was also known as Anthony Blondell Jr. ii. Dennis BLUNDELL was born on 9 Jul 1809 in Cappatagle, County Galway, Ireland. He was baptized on 25 Jul 1809 in Cappatagle, County Galway, Ireland. Godparents: Laurence Caravan & Anne Keary. He emigrated on 30 May 1834 from Ireland on the Barque Louisa with his brother, Malachi. He was naturalized on 5 Oct 1840. In 1860 he was a Merchant in Baltimore, Maryland. He appeared in the census on 11 Aug 1870 in Baltimore, Maryland. He died on 17 Jan 1874 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was buried on 20 Jan 1874 in Baltimore, MD. He was Roman Catholic in Church of Immaculate Conception. 6. iii. Malachi BLUNDELL. iv. Michael BLUNDEL was born in 1813 in Cappatagle, County Galway, Ireland. He was baptized on 19 Jul 1815 in Cappatagle, County Galway, Ireland. He died about 1827.

And to Jerome, for your work and your human kindness,
we thank you sir, and salute you!