OKAWVILLE, Ill. --Nicholas Scott Bledsoe of Okawville departed this life at 10:05 p.m. Thursday, March 3, 2011, in the emergency room of the Washington County Hospital in Nashville, Ill., due to injuries sustained in a farming accident. He had attained the age of 19 years, 3 months and 5 days.

Nicholas was born Nov. 28, 1991, in St. Louis, the son of Donald and Vickey Ruffin Bledsoe.

Nick was currently a senior at Okawville High School where he served as senior class president. Nick was a member of the FFA, golf team, basketball team and the Clay Crushers trap shooting team. He also served as a Sweetheart candidate escort, a member of the Student Leadership Team and a member of the Principal's Advisory Board. Nick was second runner-up of the King Kahuna his junior year and was recently voted Homecoming king. Nick loved the Okawville Rockets and was proud of his school. He never met a stranger and was always willing to help those in need.

Nick enjoyed four-wheeling. He loved to take friends down to Southern Illinois to go four-wheeling on the 50 wooded acres that his family owned. He also loved boating, camping, telling jokes and working at Elm Farms. He liked working on his truck and car and would only drive a Chevy. He was a big NASCAR fan and followed Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nick enjoyed spending time with friends and family and loved being a big brother to his sister Hanna.

Left to mourn his passing are his parents, Donald and Vickey Bledsoe of Okawville; a sister, Hanna Bledsoe, at home; maternal grandmother Patsy Ruffin of East Cape Girardeau, Ill.; three uncles: Tim Bledsoe of Olive Branch, Ill., Chris Bledsoe and wife Stephanie and their daughter Clara of Cape Girardeau and Stan Harris and wife Bonnie and their daughter Dawn of Columbia, Ill; an aunt, Cathy Gottman of Highland, Ill., and her daughters Jamie Thierauf, Carrie Burns and Shari Watson, all of St. Louis; several great-uncles and great-aunts as well as many friends.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents Lloyd and Clara Mae Bledsoe and his maternal grandfather Leon Ruffin.

Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Okawville Junior/Senior High School's Luechtefeld Gymnasium.

Funeral services will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the gymnasium, with the Rev. Jeffrey Schwab officiating. Interment will be in the IOOF Cemetery in Okawville.

Should friends desire, memorials may be made to a college fund that will be established for Nick's sister Hanna.

Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.campagnafuneralhomes.com.

Arrangements are being conducted by the Campagna Funeral Home of Okawville.