Walter H Balben

Mr. Walter H. Balben, 91, retired truck driver with Chemlime, and resident of Morrow Branch Road in Lynnville, died Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at NHC Pulaski. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with Norman Davis officiating. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery with military honors provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. The family will visit with friends Friday from 4 - 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 22, P.O. Box 663, Columbia, TN, 38402 or American Heart Association, P.O. Box 840692, Dallas, Texas 75284-0692. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com. The Boston, Massachusetts native was the son of the late Harold W. Balben and Annie Harris Balben. He served in the United States Army during WWII as a Paratrooper 101st Airborne, 513th Parachute Regiment, 17th Airborne Division. He was shot down over Germany and was MIA for one year. After his discharge from the military he "hoboed" across America to Scipio, Utah. He was a member of the American Legion. Survivors include his wife of almost 38 years, Linda Faye Peters Balben of Lynnville; one daughter, Linda LouiseWilliams of Lynnville; two grandsons, Jorey Michael Williams of Lynnville, Samuel Sinclair, Jr. of Northboro, Massachusetts; two granddaughters, Lynn Lang of Berlin, MA, Kathy Cleland of Northboro, MA; two brothers, Richard (Delores) Balben of NH, Frankie Balben of MA; two sisters, Ethel Marie Brown of Cisco, TX, Dorothy Balben of Hudson, MA; brother-in-law, Larry (Reba) Peters of Kingston Springs; two sisters-in-law Evangeline Balben of Las Vegas, NV, Janet Balben of Orlando, FL, Marion Balben of Casper, WY; special family friends, Sherri Dowdy and Diane Banks Harwell both of Pulaski; several nieces and nephews; several great-grandchildren; and his dog and best friend, Becky. He was preceded in death by two daughters, Jeanette Kelsey and Anna Balben, and five brothers, William Balben, Malcolm Balben, John Weston Balben, Warren Balben and Chester Balben. Pallbearers will be Richard Peach, Jorey Williams, Austin Pate, Jimmy Pate, Wayne Romesburg, Eric Baker, Marcus Baker, Clarence Baker and Bob Richter. Honorary pallbearers will be Dustin Holt, Calvin Hodge, Dr. Charles D. Haney, Dr. Wyatt Galbraith, the staff of NHC Pulaski, the remaining members of the 101st Airborne, 513th Regiment, 17th Airborne Division, and his nieces and nephews.