Wilma Charleen Ballenger

1925-2015

Wilma Charleen Ballenger went to be with the Lord on February 17, 2015 after a brief illness and a longer battle with dementia in Houston, Texas. She was born in Caney, Oklahoma on February 2, 1925.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charlie B. Miller and Ollie Lavada Summers, both of whom were born and died in Collin County, Texas; two brothers, and one sister, all of Texas, also preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, Charles Edward Ballenger; son William (Bill) Charles; and son John Clifton, all of Indialantic, Florida.

Survivors include daughter Dr. Charlotte Wisnewski and husband Stephen of Friendswood, Texas; daughter Carol Lord and husband Jim of Melbourne, Florida; Granddaughters Jen Wisnewski Kaczor and husband, Charles, of Kensington, Maryland; Susan Lord, of Melbourne; Grandsons, Scott Lord of Palm Bay, Florida, and Eric Wisnewski, Houston, Texas. Charleen is also survived by two great grandchildren, Erin and Matthew Kaczor; nieces Julia Lawrence of Irving, Texas, and Trudy George, Texas.

Charleen and Charles were married in 1945 in McKinney, Texas, where they met while Charles was serving in the US Army. After the war ended, they moved to his home in Eatonton, Georgia. They then moved to Indialantic, Florida, in 1958; Charles would work for 27 years as a security policeman at Cape Canaveral, as the Space Program began development. Charleen was a housewife but also worked as a waitress, kindergarten teacher and finally in retail. Charleen had a wonderful green thumb and her yard in Florida just three blocks from the ocean was the envy of the neighborhood. She would quit her job to take care of son Bill after an accident rendered him a quadriplegic, shortly after his return from service in the US Army in Viet Nam. She would devote 25 years of her life to him until his death. After Hurricane Francis severely damaged her home, she moved to Friendswood, Texas, to live the last almost 10 years of her life near her daughter, Charlotte. The last 2 ½ years have been spent at the Light Heart Memory Care Alzheimer’s Licensed Facility in Webster, Texas. The caregivers there have been extraordinary and the family owes a debt of gratitude for their loving care during these last few years.

She will be buried in Florida Memorial Gardens in Rockledge, Florida, with services at 2pm on Sunday, February 22. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to UTMB Galveston School of Nursing, the Alzheimer’s Association, or the charity of your choice.