Merritt Ballew's Obituary
Merritt Ballew was a wonderful man, doting father and grandfather, loving husband, and an all-around gentle soul. He loved to travel, was a hard worker, and loved to putter around in his various workshops, travel trailers, and yard. He was always raking leaves, cleaning the pool, working on the cars, or performing tasks for his family, and rarely sat still. Merritt Ballew was born December 13, 1920 in Ranger, Texas to Virgil Edward Ballew and Ollie Lindsey Ballew. He served in the United States Marine Corps in WWII, earned a rank of Sergeant, served on Iwo Jima and Bougainville as well as other places, and is a Purple Heart recipient. He was honorably discharged in 1945. Following that, he married Jacquelyn Louise Toland, and they were married their entire lives. They adopted a daughter, Joli Ballew in 1964. Merritt carried the mail for the US Postal Service and enjoyed walking his route daily. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He was a very special man and was loved by all. He is survived by his daughter, Joli Ballew and her partner, Mary Anne Cosmo; granddaughter, Jennifer Johnson Vorster and husband, Andrew Vorster and their two daughters, Allison and Leah. He is preceded in death by his wife, Jacquelyn and his brother, Morris, with whom he has already reunited with in the next world. We would like to send out special thanks to his caregivers at Winters Park Memory Care in Garland, Texas, Amity Hospice, and Heart to Heart Hospice for their loving and gentle care these last two years. A graveside service for Merritt Ballew will be held Sunday, March 1, 2015 at 1:00 PM at Restland Memorial Park. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243.
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