Ray was born June 16, 1886 to Lewis and Ella Belle (Ligon) Balding, at Sun
City, Kansas. His father hauled freight from Attica to Sun City. Ray was the
first of six children; Ray, Florence (m. Otis Shore ), Merle (m. Paul Fair ),
Robert, d. (m. Lois Hart Whittaker ), John (m. Carrie Springer), and Lewis (m.
Mildred Warren).The family moved east of Medicine Lodge to the Jerry
Simpson place, then to the Rausch farm. Around 1899, they moved to the
Balding place across the road from the Walstead School House, where all the
children attended school.
Ray married Ada Mae Kritzmeyer (born May 1889). Two
sons were born, Glenn and Walter. Ada died in 1919 when Walter was a baby and
Mr. and Mrs. Blaine Jones raised him, later he took the name of Jones. Glenn d.
married Lela McMullin and they had two sons, William and Walter. Walter (Jones)
married Florence Conner.
Cora Belle Wells was born Feb. 22, 1906 to John and Bonnie
(Adams) Wells, at Coats, Kansas. She was one of nine children; Wilma (m.
George "Shorty" Peirson d.), Cora D. (m. Ray ), Lester (m. Elsie Martin), Velma
(m. Charlie Strain), Ruth (m. Tom Mays), Leonard (m. Goldie Smith), Beulah (m.
Roger Springer), Johnny (m. Betty Morford), and Virginia (died in infancy).
Ray and Cora were married April 4, 1925, at Alva, Oklahoma. Cora had a small
daughter, Eva Darlene Moorehead, (whose father had died when she was about a
year and a half old), and Ray had his son, Glenn, and this was the start of
their family. They made their home in Wichita for awhile. A daughter, Virginia
Louise was added to the family. The next move was made to Kiowa, Kansas, where
Harold Douglas was born. Around 1928 they moved to Medicine Lodge and James Dale
was born here. The children all attended school in Medicine Lodge.
Ray was
the first mechanic to own and operate a garage at that time. In 1942 they moved
back to Wichita where Cora worked two and a half years at Boeing and Ray went to
work for Beech Aircraft Co., while working there he invented a special light,
used to work on carburetors. When many people were laid off work at Beech, Ray
was retained as a chauffeur for Mrs. Beech, until returning to work at the
company, where he worked until his death April 1, 1951.
Eva Darlene married Raymond
Harold "Bill" Hoagland and they had two sons and a daughter. Ronald (married
Judy Thorton and they have Marsha, Kimberly, Diane, and Rhonda.) Dick (married
Janice Bain and they have Pamela and Jeffery.) Deloris (married Douglas Freeman
and they have two sons, Steven and Allen.) Eva is now married to Dave A. Smith
and they live in Medicine Lodge.
Virginia (married Clyde A. Cartwright Jr.,
they live in Derby, Kansas. They have two daughters, Barbara Kay, and Candice
Louise (married Wallace Bennet and they have three children, Wade Allen, Tracy
Leigh, and Jared Reid.)
Harold (married Barbara Simon, they had four
children; Ronald, Theresa (married Glenn Cramer, they have a daughter Lindsie
Lorie.) Deborah (married Hubert Tibbetts, they have a son David Allen,
Christopher Mark, and a daughter Ranea Darlene. Virginia Darlene (married Larry
Cheatum and they have a son Larry Scott.
James Dale (married Ruth Henderson
and they had three children; Jamie (married Randy Robbins and they have a son,
William Nicholas, and they live in Attica, Kansas.) Michael (married Christine
Seaman, they have a daughter Angela Lynn.) William Pat is not married.
Ada
Balding died April 30, 1919. Ray died April 1, 1951, in Wichita. After Ray died
Cora married Wilbur Purdun and she died Feb. 26, 1971 in Wichita. They are all
buried in Highland Cemetery at Medicine Lodge.
(Note: the original
article incorrectly gave Raymond Harold "Bill" Hoagland's first name as
"William".)