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George Wesley Ballinger
August 03, 1927 - October 20, 2009
Oskaloosa, Iowa
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| Visitation: Will begin at noon on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel; the family will be at the funeral chapel from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., Thursday evening, to greet visitors. |
| Funeral Service: 10:30 a.m., Friday morning, October 23, 2009 at Garland - Van Arkel - Langkamp Funeral Chapel with Reverend Jason Gutzmer of the Lacey United Methodist Church officiating. |
Interment: Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa with military honors by the Harry L. Anderson Post #34 of the American Legion, the VFW Post #2237 and DAV Post #21.
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George passed away Tuesday morning at Northern Mahaska Nursing and Rehab Center at the age of 82 years, 2 months and 17 days.
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George Wesley Ballinger, son of Glen Owen & Georgia Ward Ballinger, was born August 3, 1927 in Lacey, Iowa. George was a 1944 graduate of Lacey High School and following his graduation he served in the U.S. Navy for two years at the end of WWII. He returned to Oskaloosa where he worked at Central Book Store and Sherwin Williams. In 1954, he rejoined the Navy, where he served until his retirement in 1971. While in the Navy, he attended many schools, the most significant was Nuclear Power Training. He served on several ships, one of which was the Okanogan, where he made four deployments to Viet Nam. He attained the rating of Senior Chief Petty Officer. He also served on the USS Enterprise CVA –N-65 which circumnavigated the earth during Operation Sea Orbit as part of the Nuclear Task Force One in 1964. During this voyage he was initiated into the Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep as a Trusty Shellback. Following his retirement he made his home in Island Park, Idaho. In 1984, he returned to Oskaloosa, where he met Dorothy Owens DeKock. They were married August 10, 1985 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa.
George was a member of the Lacey United Methodist Church, the Oskaloosa Elks Lodge, the American Legion, the Fleet Reserve Association, the Retired Enlisted Association and the Naval Mine Warfare Association. George enjoyed photography and working with computers.
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He is survived by a sister, Glenna Boughton of Dubuque, IA; three nephews: Paul (Andrea) Boughton of Ankeny, IA; Larry (Diane) Boughton of Montezuma, IA and David (Sheryl) Boughton of Williamsburg, IA; a niece, Lisa (Bob) Kramer of Rochester, MN; two cousins: Tom Zunkel of Fillmore, CA & Dick Zunkel of San Jose, CA; several great nieces and nephews; two stepsons and their wives: Steven (Connie) Kime of Oskaloosa and Jerry (Shirley) Kime of Oskaloosa; three step-grandsons and five step-great grandchildren; and special friends, Richard and Patricia McCulley of Oskaloosa and Richard and Lois Bonney of Idaho Falls, ID.
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He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy on May 3, 2009; his parents; and a cousin, Forrest Dunsmoor, who he considered a brother.
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Memorials may be made to the Lacey United Methodist Church.
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