Shelton graduated from New Waverly High School where he participated in football, 4-H, FFA, and the Walker County Fair. After graduation he enlisted in the United States Air Force where he pursued an education in Histology at Shepard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. Shelton was honorably discharged in 2001 and enlisted in the Army National Guard. He was called back to active duty in March 2010 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Shelton officially retired from the military March 17, 2011. It was an honor for Shelton to serve his country in the armed forces.
Shelton’s education in Histology took him around the world. He worked at Brooks Air Force Base, Wright-Patterson Medical Center, MD Anderson, Ameripath, Onslow Memorial Hospital, Vanderbilt Medical Center, and Nashville V.A. Medical Center. Eight months ago he was offered the opportunity to fulfill his dreams of working with the military again at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
He enjoyed the experience and the culture of Europe. He traveled to nine different European countries while there. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed time with his son camping and hunting. Recently Shelton had joined The American Legion, Post GR01, Department of France.
Shelton was preceded in death by his grandparents Marie and Erving Charles “Jack” Ballew and Annie and Edward Mott, father-in-law Gerald Walter Cieslinski, and step-father Kenneth W. Rushing. He is survived by his loving wife Sandi, children Haley Kay Cieslinski and William Russell “Rusty” Ballew, parents EC Ballew and Delinda Rushing, mother-in-law Coralie Cieslinski, siblings Charline Ballew, Edward Charles “Junior” Ballew and wife Angela, Theresa Ballew, Crystal Rahman and husband Firas, Evan Ballew and wife Samantha, and Carly Tipton, sister-in-laws Nadine Mathis, Colleen Frazier and husband Scott, and Kimberly Rainey and husband Keith, brother-in-law Gerald Benjamin Cieslinski, step-mother Melissa Nixon Plaster, and numerous nieces, nephews and beloved friends.
Visitation will be held at Cashner Funeral Home in Conroe on Monday, April 22, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held in the Houston National Cemetery 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77038 on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at 12:45 p.m.
In lieu of normal remembrances, please make donations to the Warrior Center USO at https://www.uso.org/donate/kaiserslautern/ , and choose to donate in his memory. (Title/Rank are CIV/GS7, Army Branch). You can also donate to the Wounded Warrior Project.
