Obituaries
ARLENE JUNE BAKER BALLENGER
was born Jan. 15, 1931, in George, Iowa to Everett T. and Helene (Dyvig) Baker.
She attended school in Rock Rapids, Iowa, graduating in 1948. While attending Drake University as a music major, she met and fell in love with Robert G. Ballenger. They were married on July 2, 1950.
The couple lived in Jessup, Iowa, where Robert taught instrumental music. While living in Jessup, all three children were born. The family moved to Denison, Iowa in 1957, where Arlene taught piano lessons to many young people in the community and raised her family. In 1976, Arlene and Bob moved to Santa Barbara, Calif., where together they began and operated a piano tuning and repair business, and where they enjoyed playing golf.
In 1991, they retired to Tucson, moving to Green Valley in 1993, where they enjoyed golfing with their many friends at the Green Valley Country Club. After Bob’s death in 2004, Arlene continued to live in Green Valley where she golfed with her friends and hosted parties for “The Friday Group.” She was an avid artist and her family will treasure the many paintings she produced over the years. When her health declined in the fall of 2007, she moved to Edmond, Okla. to be near her daughter. She died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007, at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Those who preceded her in death were her parents; husband Robert; brother Paul Baker, his first wife Margaret and his second wife Virginia; and brother-in-law Harold Robinson.
Left to cherish her memory are her three children and their spouses: son William (Cathy) of Lubbock, Texas; son Roger (Laura) of Northridge, Calif.; and daughter Barbara (Rush) Clinkscales of Edmond; four grandchildren: Carrie Ballenger Smith (Robert) of Chicago, Ill., Carl Ballenger and fiance/ Susan Wallace of Edmond, Emily Lewis of Stillwater, Okla. and her special friend Brad Keith and Meghan Clinkscales of Arlington, Texas; two great-grandsons: Caleb and Zion Smith of Chicago; sister-in-law Carolyn Robinson of Loveland, Colo.; special family friends Bill and Nancy Orr of Green Valley; three nieces; two nephews; and many friends.
A celebration of her life is planned for Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, at First Presbyterian Church, 524 South Duncan, Stillwater, OK, 74074. Interment will be beside her husband at the Green Valley Mortuary in Green Valley. No formal service is planned in Green Valley at this time.
Memorials can be sent to Texas Tech University Friends of Music (School of Music, TTU, Box 42033, Lubbock TX 79409-2033); Oklahoma State University Friends of Music (Department of Music, OSU, 132 Seretean Center, Stillwater, OK 74078-4077); the Southern Arizona Beagle Rescue (www.soazbeaglerescue.com); or the family: Arlene Ballenger Memorials, c/o William Ballenger, 4019 75th Street, Lubbock TX 79423.
She attended school in Rock Rapids, Iowa, graduating in 1948. While attending Drake University as a music major, she met and fell in love with Robert G. Ballenger. They were married on July 2, 1950.
The couple lived in Jessup, Iowa, where Robert taught instrumental music. While living in Jessup, all three children were born. The family moved to Denison, Iowa in 1957, where Arlene taught piano lessons to many young people in the community and raised her family. In 1976, Arlene and Bob moved to Santa Barbara, Calif., where together they began and operated a piano tuning and repair business, and where they enjoyed playing golf.
In 1991, they retired to Tucson, moving to Green Valley in 1993, where they enjoyed golfing with their many friends at the Green Valley Country Club. After Bob’s death in 2004, Arlene continued to live in Green Valley where she golfed with her friends and hosted parties for “The Friday Group.” She was an avid artist and her family will treasure the many paintings she produced over the years. When her health declined in the fall of 2007, she moved to Edmond, Okla. to be near her daughter. She died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007, at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Those who preceded her in death were her parents; husband Robert; brother Paul Baker, his first wife Margaret and his second wife Virginia; and brother-in-law Harold Robinson.
Left to cherish her memory are her three children and their spouses: son William (Cathy) of Lubbock, Texas; son Roger (Laura) of Northridge, Calif.; and daughter Barbara (Rush) Clinkscales of Edmond; four grandchildren: Carrie Ballenger Smith (Robert) of Chicago, Ill., Carl Ballenger and fiance/ Susan Wallace of Edmond, Emily Lewis of Stillwater, Okla. and her special friend Brad Keith and Meghan Clinkscales of Arlington, Texas; two great-grandsons: Caleb and Zion Smith of Chicago; sister-in-law Carolyn Robinson of Loveland, Colo.; special family friends Bill and Nancy Orr of Green Valley; three nieces; two nephews; and many friends.
A celebration of her life is planned for Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, at First Presbyterian Church, 524 South Duncan, Stillwater, OK, 74074. Interment will be beside her husband at the Green Valley Mortuary in Green Valley. No formal service is planned in Green Valley at this time.
Memorials can be sent to Texas Tech University Friends of Music (School of Music, TTU, Box 42033, Lubbock TX 79409-2033); Oklahoma State University Friends of Music (Department of Music, OSU, 132 Seretean Center, Stillwater, OK 74078-4077); the Southern Arizona Beagle Rescue (www.soazbeaglerescue.com); or the family: Arlene Ballenger Memorials, c/o William Ballenger, 4019 75th Street, Lubbock TX 79423.
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