William Clayton Ballantyne 1924-2011

BALLANTYNE, BROWN, LINGARD, THOMAS, FARNHAM, BARTLES

Posted By: Curtis (email)
Date: 6/30/2011 at 11:02:46

DEATH NOTICE:

(The Leon Journal-Reporter Leon, Iowa June 15, 2011)

BALLANTYNE, Bill, 86, of Lamoni, Iowa, died on Monday, June 13, 2011, at the Lamoni Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 15, at the Lamoni Community of Christ from 6:00-8:30 p.m. with the family present to greet friends. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 16, 2011, at the Lamoni Community of Christ, with burial following at Rose Hill Cemetery in Lamoni, Iowa. Arrangements are through Slade-O'Donnell Home of Leon and Lamoni.

Memorials may be given to Graceland University Campus Ministry of Lamoni Heartland Mission Center Priesthood / Pastor Education Fund.

Obituary -

(The Leon Journal-Reporter Leon, Iowa June 22, 2011)

WILLIAM (Bill) C. BALLANTYNE ... Bill Ballantyne passed away on June 13, 2011, at the Lamoni Nursing and Rehab Center in Lamoni, Iowa.

On September 2, 1924, Alvin and Lorena Ballantyne were traveling to their home from Lamoni when their horse got spooked and ran uncontrollably for quite some distance. They were not injured but that night a tiny baby was born. Their first child, born two months early, was named William Clayton.

The doctor told them not to put a shirt on him because he was not going to live. His Aunt Metta Brown informed the doctor that she was going to give him a bath and a new warm shirt. Then his grandfather. R. A. Ballantyne asks to hold him and prayed for this tiny boy. After the prayer his grandfather, George V. Brown informed the family that the boy had a great work to do.

All through the years his mother kept telling him to slow down. He was always in too much of a hurry and never stayed to visit with her long enough. He always replied "I can't help it mom, I was born in a hurry."

Bill completed his elementary school days in Scott and Happy Hollow Country Schools near Lamoni. One of his teacher's was Greta Cartwright, a current resident of Lamoni. He completed his education at Lamoni High School graduating in 1942.

In 1943, he met the loved of his life, Beulah Lingard from Vail, Iowa. They met at the Lingard home when he went with Elbert Thomas to be the best man at Elbert's wedding. He impressed the Lingard's when he did Beulah's chores. Walter told his daughter that he was not telling her who she had to marry but he sure would be pleased if she chose that "Bill fellow."

Bill and Beulah were married on Easter Sunday, April 21, 1946, in the Lamoni Coliseum. They spent their honeymoon in Independence, Missouri. However, Bill was in a hurry to return home because the farmers were planting their crops. He hurried to the field but it was rainy, cold and he had to replant most of what he had hurried home to plant. He was often reminded of this event. To this union, two children were born, Rebecca Ann and Richard Leroy.

In 1953, Bill entered into a livestock share agreement to supply milk for the Graceland College dining facility. No one had lived on this farm for a long time. There was an old house, barn and a few other run down out buildings. By late fall a driveway was built, the house refurbished, milking parlor and processing plant built and Holstein cows bought and transported to the farm. Bill was milking the cows by October 1953. The family moved to the farm March 1, 1954.

During the following 25 years the operation was very successful. The herd grew to 78 milking cows, hay and row crops were increased to meet the needs of the expanding operation. The processing plant was increased in order to sell milk, cream, orange juice and of course the famous Chocolate Milk to citizens of Lamoni and surrounding area. More that 500 families came to the dairy to buy their milk. The dairy was open seven days a week and twenty four hours a day. The customer would leave their empty jars and write down what they purchased. Many of his friends enjoyed coming early in the morning and evening to visit with Bill while he milked the cows.

In 1944, he achieved the American Farmer Degree, the highest award of the Future Farmers of America Organization. The Holstein Friesian Association of America awarded him life time membership in the Dairy Shrine Club in recognition of his excellence in dairying, producing and managing an outstanding herd of Holsteins, and promoting dignity in the dairy industry. He was named an "Iowa Distinguished Dairyman" by the Iowa Dairyman's Association in 1975 at the National Dairy Cattle Congress.

The highlight of many summers was showing some of the cows at the Lamoni, Decatur County 4-H and the Iowa State Fairs. In 1978 due to Bill's health, the dairy was closed and the cows were sold in auction. The cows went to large dairies and small family farms in Iowa, Texas, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and North Dakota.

Bill and his family were very active in the Community of Christ Church. Bloomington was their home congregation as a youth and adult. He was active in the priesthood all his adult life. He served as Pastor at Bloomington, Davis City and Leon Congregations. He volunteered and served under the direction of fourteen Stake Presidents until his celebration of Superannuation during the last Lamoni Stake Conference.

Bill was always involved in civic and community activities including serving sixteen years as a Decatur County Supervisor and the many area committees included in that responsibility.

Preceding him in death are his parents, Alvin and Lorena Ballantyne; his brothers, Jim and Bob Ballantyne; parents in-law, Walter and Nellie Lingard; sisters in-law, Marjorie Thomas and LaVern Farnham and nephew Robert Farnham.

Those left to cherish his memory include: his wife of 65 years, Beulah; daughter Becky of West Des Moines, IA; son Dick, (Bonnie) of Lamoni; grandsons, Chadley (Laura) of Chicago, IL and Nathanial of Kansas City, MO; granddaughter, Jennifer Bartles (Curtis) of Des Moines, IA; great grandsons, Marcus and Joshua Bartles; sisters in law, Dottie Ballantyne of Solon, IA and Nadine Ballantyne of Independence, MO; brothers-in-law, Elbert Thomas, of Davis City, IA and Dr. Milo Farnham of Independence, MO. A host of nephews and nieces and friends.