Ector Co. TX - Obits from the Odessa American Online Submitted by Charlene Beatty Beauchamp cbodessa@classicnet.net Thanks to the Odessa American Online http://www.oaoa.com/ ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** OA Online Obituaries. Permian Basin Obituaries Copyright © 1999-2002 Odessa American. All rights reserved ============================================================================================ Thursday March 28, 2002 Earl Ray Baker ODESSA - Earl Ray Baker, 70, of Odessa left us on Tuesday, March 26, 2002. He is now in heaven, a place more beautiful than any of us can imagine. Earl, better known as "Poppa," loved fishing, hunting and raising his prize-winning show goats. But he loved his friends and family even more. He will be deeply missed. Earl Ray Baker was born Sept. 14, 1931, to Herman and Mattie Baker in Bryan County, Okla. He has two brothers, Leo and Les Baker of Achille, Okla., and three sisters, Eva Johnson and Odella Calahan of California and Loren McKinney of Colbert, Okla. He fell in love with Grace Gibby and married her in 1952. Earl's love for Grace never faded. Earl and Grace have a daughter, Kathy Swinney of Odessa, and a son, Phillip Baker of Odessa. They also have a son and daughter by marriage, Kathy's husband, Don Swinney, and Phillip's wife, Jane Baker. The name "Poppa" was coined by his grandchildren who thought the world of him. His daughter's three children are Sjanna Drum, Brandon Swinney and Shelby Swinney. His son's two children are Crystal Lopez and Samantha Baker. Earl has a great-grandchild, Lydia Anne Lopez, or as he called her, "Lydie Bug." Services are scheduled for 3 p.m. today, March 28, 2002, at Sunset Memorial Funeral Chapel with Marcus Zuniga officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Services are under the direction of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. Shirley Ballard COLORADO CITY - Mrs. Shirley Ballard, age 67, of Lubbock passed away about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, 2002, at Covenant Hospital in Lubbock after a lengthy battle with multiple myeloma. She had been a Lubbock resident for the past 17 years. Shirley was born March 15, 1935, in Colorado City and was a graduate of Colorado City High School and a graduate of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. She married Drew Ballard on July 19, 1953, in Colorado City and lived in Germany for two years. Together they operated radio station KVMC in Colorado City before moving away in 1981 to further broadcasting careers. At one time, they owned radio stations in Round Rock, Boerne, Lampasas, Lubbock and Big Spring in Texas and Atoka and Tishomingo, Okla. She was active in civic clubs in Colorado City as well as other towns where she had lived and was a past member of the Business and Professional Women Organization in Lubbock. She was also a member of Westminster Kennel Club Association. Shirley is survived by her husband and three children, Margie Shawn of Monahans, John Ballard of Arlington and Gary Ballard of Austin. Four grandchildren also survive, Megan Shawn, a student at Texas Tech University, Corbin Shawn of Monahans and Coily and Zane Ballard of Arlington. A sister also survives, Maxine Calame of Richardson along with several nieces and nephews. Funeral services for Shirley Ballard will be held at 2 p.m. today, March 28, 2002, at Kiker-Seale Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Ted Spear officiating. Burial will follow at the Colorado City Cemetery under the direction of Kiker-Seale Funeral Home. Earl Jack Traylor ODESSA - Earl Jack Traylor was born July 21, 1918, to Richard and Emma Traylor, who homesteaded in New Mexico shortly after it attained statehood. Raised in the Alto-Ruidoso, N.M., area, Earl worked in his late teens for the National Forest Service in training CCC workers to fight forest fires and maintain forest trails. After his marriage to Doris Graves in the late 1930s, he moved his young family to Deming, N.M., where he worked for the Peru Mining Co. supplying copper and lead for the war effort during World War II. Following the war he accepted a position as electrical engineer with Public Service Co. of New Mexico. When PSC's Deming plant was closed, he was transferred to Albuquerque, N.M., where he rose to the rank of senior operator, retiring in 1975 after 30 years of service. After retiring, Earl devoted his time to developing a small ranch in Bosque, N.M. He was able to return to his lifelong love for the land, nature and animal husbandry. Earl's ability with animals earned him the family designation of "Dr. Dolittle" because we all knew that he "talked to the animals and they talked to him." Earl dedicated his life to Jehovah God and symbolized that act by his baptism in 1963. After his retirement from secular work, it was his privilege to serve for 10 years as the presiding elder of the Belen, N.M., Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. His knowledge of New Mexico real estate laws proved to be extremely useful to the congregation. He served for a number of years in the food service department for the conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses. Due to failing health, Earl and Doris moved to Odessa in 1995 to be closer to their children. Although his health prevented him from being very active, Earl enjoyed the fellowship of his Christian brothers and sisters in the Odessa Congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses. He found great pleasure in visits from his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Earl had a deep abiding faith in the Bible's promise of a new world where all will enjoy abundant health with the prospect of everlasting life. He treasured the assurance of Christ that there will be a resurrection of all those in the memorial tombs. His favorite Bible text was Ps. 94:17: "Unless Jehovah had been of assistance to me, in a little while my soul would have resided in silence." Earl Jack Traylor passed away March 25, 2002. He is survived by his wife, Doris; a son, Vance Traylor of Odessa; two daughters, Earleen Peters of Odessa and Sherry Long of Payson, Ariz.; and eight grandchildren, Drew Peters of Midland, Elise Peters of Scottsdale, Ariz., Cassie Cole of Grapevine, Sherry Parkhurst of The Woodlands, Kasha Urban of Oklahoma City, Keena Traylor of Odessa, Michael Long of Idaho and David Long of Phoenix. He is survived by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces and cousins. Memorial services are scheduled at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 30, 2002, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 3625 W. 11th St. at West Loop 338. Copyright © 1999-2002 Odessa American. All rights reserved.