Calvin Ballensky
Akaska: Funeral services for Calvin Ballensky, 83, of Akaska
will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 28, 2008, at Zion Lutheran
Church
in Akaska. Rev Tim Berg will officiate.
Burial will be in the Akaska Cemetery under the direction of
Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.
Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the
church on Friday.
He passed away Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008, at his home near
Akaska.
Calvin E. Ballensky, son of Emil and Gertrude (Weiss)
Ballensky, was born March 3, 1925, in Akaska. He was
baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Akaska. He
attended grade school at Akaska and Scranton schools and
high school in Akaska, Java and Glenham.
After graduation, Calvin was drafted into the U.S. Army.
During World War II, he was in Battery D of the 839th
Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Automatic Weapons Battalion
(AW) as a corporal. His tour of duty led him to France and
Germany. Calvin came home in April 1946 and began farming
with his father. He remained in the reserves and, in October
1950, was recalled into the 1st Calvary Division, 7th
Regiment, 2nd Battalion F Company and served in Korea until
October 1951 as a sergeant. He then resumed farming.
He was united in marriage to Charlotte Kosel on Nov. 16,
1953, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Mound City. Following
their marriage, they made their home on a farm southwest of
Akaska, where they have since resided and where they enjoyed
55 years together. Calvin ranched and farmed southwest of
Akaska. No matter how much work he had, he always found time
to spend with his family. Ranching was Calvin's first love.
Calvin also enjoyed hunting, trapping, fishing, playing
cards and reading western novels.
He was a member of the VFW Legion, Akaska Equity Board,
Akaska Commercial Club, lifetime member of the NRA, a member
of Zion Lutheran church and served on the board along with
being the treasurer.
Calvin is survived by his wife, Charlotte; daughter,
Patricia Ballensky of Yankton; son, Patrick Ballensky of
Akaska; daughter, Barbara Ballensky of Vermillion;
sister-in-law, Virginia Ballensky of Loveland, Colo.;
brother-in-law, Elial Harr of Eureka; brother-in-law,
Charles (Anna) Kosel of Cedarburg, Wis. He is also survived
by nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great
nieces and great-great grandnephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Emil and Gertrude;
brother, Gerald; sisters: Evelyn Riedel and Nadine Harr; and
a brother-in-law, Arthur Riedel.
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