Burney Willis Ballew Burney Willis Ballew passed away Saturday, February 14, 1998, at the Mangum City Hospital in Mangum, Oklahoma, at the age of 78. Burney was born May 19, 1919, in Caddo County, Oklahoma, to Joseph Chester and Joannave (White) Ballew. He was a United States Army Veteran of World War II. Burney was one of the troops that was set to invade the mainland of Japan to end the War and was not expected to survive this attack. His life was saved by the Atomic Bomb since it made this invasion under fire unnecessary. Burney returned from the war and worked for the City of Tulsa as a bus driver until he was promoted to bus mechanic. He worked for the Douglas Aircraft Company in Tulsa as an aircraft electrician. He also worked as a dispatcher for the Tulsa Fire Department. At his retirement, he was employed with American Airlines as an aircraft electrician. Burney married Mary Etta (Marietta) Harmon in 1940 in Mangum, Oklahoma. They moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1942, 6 months after their first son, Ronald Willis was born in Mangum. Burney and Marietta had 3 more children in Tulsa: Donald Ray, Patricia Ann, and Richard Allen. They moved north of Tulsa, to Turley, Oklahoma, in 1951. They became active members of the Turley Church of Christ and raised their children in the countryside along with rabbits, chickens, cats and dogs. Burney and Marietta moved back to Tulsa in 1961 where they lived while the children completed their schooling. They divorced in 1970. Burney met Elsie Adams in Tulsa and married her June 12, 1972, in Claremore, Oklahoma. They moved to Mangum in 1981 when Burney retired. They became members of the First United Methodist Church. Burney was a member of the Methodist Men and the American Legion. He was a loving husband and a devout Christian. Burney loved to read the Bible and to write church bulletins. Burney is survived by his wife, Elsie Ballew, of the home in Mangum; Elsie's two children: Rowena Cerra and her husband Carmen, of Kansas City, Missouri, and Ramona Janeway and her husband Bob, of Shawnee, Oklahoma; his first wife Marietta (Harmon) Ballew Scott, of Garland, Texas; and their four children: Ronald and his wife Judy, of Lawton, Oklahoma; Donald, Patricia (Ballew) Jubera, and Richard, all of Garland, Texas; one sister: Beatrice Freeman of Algonquin, Illinois; six grandchildren: Willis Elliott, Jenny Lynn, and John Chester by Ronald; David Dwaine by Donald; and Dawn and Keri Ann by Patricia; and two great-grand-children by Keri. Burney was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Troy, and three sisters: Josephine Edmonds, Lola Hudgins, and Ada Bee Gilliam.