Elaine Marie (Murray) Ballew, 77, of Sioux City, IA, and West Des Moines, IA, passed away on Wednesday, March 8, 2002, in Lincoln. Services were held at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in O'Neill, at 10:30am on Monday, March 11.

Rev. Mark Bridgman officiated. Music was provided by St. Patrick's Choir an Marvin Ziska, accompanied by pianist, Jean McIntosh.

Honorary pallbearers were Lucille Dufek, Bobbi and Sam Fuhrer, George Curran, Maurice Grutsch and Sam Derickson.

Elaine was born on Feb 2, 1925, to Henry and Cora (Ratliff) Murray in O'Neill. She was a second generation American as her paternal grandfather had escaped Ireland's potato famine and fought for the North in the American Civil War.

She graduated St. Mary's Academy in 1943 and attended St. Vincent College of Nursing (Sioux City, IA), graduating in 1946. Like many young women of the wartime years, Elaine was a cadet in the U.S. Air Force and was to be assigned to Sioux City's airfield except, happily, that WWII ended. Elaine married Gilbert Ballew on April 24, 1946, in Omaha, at St. Mary Magdalene's Catholic Church. She was cited in the Iowa Nursing History book entitled, "In the Spirit of Service" as opening the Intensive Care Unit on Dec. 5, 1963. Elaine also was a member of the Nursing Auxiliary in Sioux City, IA, and she also opened the Dialysis Unit with Dr. George Spellman. Mrs. Ballew worked for the State of Iowa Health Department for several years prior to her retirement.

Elaine is survived by three children, Bill Ballew (Pleasantan, CA), Carol (Ballew) and her husband, Dr. Morris Ellington (Clearwater, MN), and Pat Ballew (Everett, WA). Elaine's four grandchildren, Julie (Ballew) and her husband, Chris Heuer (Brentwood, CA), Nathan Ballew and wife, Gabriella (Brentwood, CA), Elizabeth and Bill Ellington (Clearwater, MN). Elaine also had three great-grandchildren Alexis Sherry Ballew (parents, Nathan Ballew and Gabriella (Luna) Ballew of Brentwood, CA) plus twins, Hunter and Sierra Heuer (parents Julie (Ballew) and Chris Heuer of Brentwood, CA). Additional relatives surviving Elaine include nephew, Don and Pat Murphy and family; cousin Nancy and Sam Derickson; nieces, Sharon Billings of Bagley, MN, Corrine Murphy of Lincolnton, GA, and Mary and John Long of Rockford, IL, plus over twenty great nieces and nephews.

Elaine preceded in death by her mother and father plus siblings including her brother, Mill Murray, and sister, Kathryn (Murray) Murphy, and one in infancy. All of these family members were residents of O'Neill.

An unusually large group of life-long friends and O'Neill residents turned out for her rosary at Biglin's Mortuary that the Rev. Mark Bridgman of St. Patrick's Catholic Church officiated in a wonderful Irish traditional style. Elaine Marie (Murray) Ballew, a daughter of O'Neill, is buried at O'Neill Carvary Cemetery, next to her father, Henry Murray.