The Family of R. W. Balke - Family Histories

     Raymond William Carl Balke, born July 11, 1906, son of Louisa Timmes and Bernhard (Ben) Balke, first came to Santa Anna in 1926 as a telegraph operator for the Santa Fe Railroad. Here he met and married Miss Lucille Lowe, the daughter of Hallie Barker and Clinton Lowe, October 11, 1927 (see Robert Martin Lowe). During the depression, Raymond was asked to transfer to St. Louis, Missouri. Rather than move his family from Texas, he quit his job. He then worked as a teller in the Santa Anna National Bank until 1936, when he went to work as a telegraph operator for Humble Oil (now Exxon). When the telegraph operators were phased out, he continued working for Humble Oil in various capacities. He was a gauger at Winters when he retired in 1971.

     Upon retirement, they returned to Santa Anna to make their home. They are members of the United Presbyterian Church, where he has served as a ruling elder, and are both members of the Order of the Eastern Star #247. Raymond is a member of the Masonic Mountain Lodge #661; Royal Arch Chapter: Royal Select Master; Knights Templer; 32nd Degree Scottish Rite and Shrine.

     At present, he is serving on the Board of Directors for the Santa Anna Housing Authority. Raymond and Lucille have 3 children:

       Bonnie Gene, born December 1, 1928, in Santa Anna, is a graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio and teaches in the public school system there. She married Walter Allan Kuykendall, December 30, 1953, in San Antonio, they have one daughter, Karla Kay, born January 16, 1965.

   Rodney, born February 24, 1931, in Santa Anna, is a graduate of Texas Tech at Lubbock and is employed as a Mechanical Engineer Superintendent at Bell Aircraft in Arlington. He married Miss Billie Nunn of Big Lake in Dallas, August 2, 1957. Their children: Lori Elizabeth, May 28, 1959; Larry Layne, April 12, 1961; and Lanci Lowe, May 7, 1968.

       Linda Lou, born June 12, 1944 in San Angelo, married Charles Robert Davidson of Ballinger in Winters, June 16, 1962. Their children: Tiffany Lynn, born August 30, 1963, married Tim Smith, November, 1982; Tania Lorraine, January 1, 1966, and Teresa LeAnn, December 28, 1967. They make their home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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R. W. and Lucille Balke, October, 1977