Shirley Ballew

Graveside services are scheduled at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, August 20, at South Park Cemetery, Roswell, N.M., for Shirley Annette Ballew, 2204 Clayton Ave., Artesia, New Mexico. Mrs. Ballew, 69, died Sunday, August 16, 2009 at Artesia General Hospital after a short bout with cancer.. Rev. Robert Ballew II will officiate at the services. Mrs. Ballew was born July 26, 1940 in Dickson, Tennessee; the daughter of Orie L. Adcock and Madge Fielder Adcock. Shirleys early years were spent in Tennessee until she and her family moved to Roswell, N.M. She graduated from Roswell High School in 1958. While in high school she served as the F.H.A. President and was also F.H.A. Sweetheart. After graduating she was engaged to Ronald Ballew on August 10, and on the 21st of December, 1958 they were married. They had short stays in Albuquerque, N.M. and Phoenix, Arizona before coming to Artesia in 1969 with their three children. Shirley was a stay at home Mom while the kids were young but was very active in the Parent Teacher Association, Homeroom Moms, as secretary for the B.P.O.E. Does in Artesia and was honored as a Grand Lodge Member of the Does for her hard work. When all the kids had entered middle school she went to work for H R Block for a couple of years before she ventured out in 1982 and founded Shirley Ballew Bookkeeping and Tax Service. Her husband, Ronald, joined her a couple of years later and the company became known as Ballew Bookkeeping and Tax Service. They continued to work together until Shirley retired in 2003. She will always be remembered as a loving wife, mother, neighbor and friend. Survivors include her husband Ron Ballew of the family home; sons James Ballew of Stockton, Calif., and Robert Ballew II and wife Jill of Artesia; daughter Deborah Grider and husband Dennis of Ft. Sumner, N.M.; grandchildren Jessica Hatfield, Haley, Hunter and Hannah Ballew, Frank, Kirk, and Dennis Jr. Grider. Memorial contributions may be made to the New Mexico Christian Childrens Home, 1356 NM 236 Portales, NM 88130.