Delta Maxine Ballard

Delta Maxine Ballard, 88, of Long Beach, California passed away on Thursday, May 21, 2015. She was born in Payson, Oklahoma on September 21, 1926 to the late Thomas and Arminta (Ross) Conatser. Maxine graduated from St. Louis High School in St. Louis, Oklahoma. She went on to marry Buford “Boots” Ballard and they raised one daughter together, Phyllis Jean Ballard. Over the next few years she was a stay at home mom. When her daughter started school, she returned to work for various grocery stores. She attended First Baptist Church of Okmulgee. Through Church, PTA and other organizations she formed many wonderful lifelong friendships. In 1986 Maxine retired from Safeway and moved to Long Beach, California to be near her daughter and grandsons. She was an active member of Cottonwood Church in Los Alamitos, Ca. She loved her involvement with “the Lunch Bunch” and Real Women. She could always be found watching her four grandsons play various sports or other school activities. She never missed a game or school activity or church production. God, family, and friends were her great joy. Maxine is preceded in death by her parents, siblings, Stephen Wayne Conatser, Thomas Hayden Conatser and Chlomogene Conatser Halverson, a cousin, Darrell Wilsey and a brother-in-law Robert Williams. She is survived by her daughter, Phyllis Ballard of Long Beach, California, and four grandsons, Travis Alan Perkins of Huntington Beach, California, Tyler Ballard Perkins of Huntington Beach, California, Tanner Stephen Perkins of Long Beach, California and Trenton William Perkins of Long Beach, California. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Estelle Ballard Williams, and her nieces and nephews: Delilah Knight of Oklahoma City, Daniel Conatser of Tecumseh, David Conatser of Tecumseh, Ann Johnson of Tulsa, Sue Lucas of Harrison, Arkansas, Diana Rainey of Checotah, Mike Johnson of Checotah, Kathryn Banter of Kentucky, Jenny Gordon of New Jersey, Mary Jenkins of Rogers, Arkansas, Steven Williams of Tulsa, Donna Kubic of Dallas, Texas, and Brian Williams of Broken Arrow. A funeral service will be held 11:00 A.M. Monday, June 1, 2015 at the McClendon-Winters Funeral Home Chapel. A Luncheon will follow in the McClendon-Winters Life Celebration Center. A committal service will be held at 3:00 P.M. Monday at the Tecumseh Cemetery in Tecumseh, Oklahoma. Friends may visit the funeral home on Sunday from 2:00 P.M.-6:00 P.M. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association or the Okmulgee Education Foundation. Arrangements have been entrusted to the McClendon-Winters Funeral Home of Okmulgee.

Delta Maxine Ballard

September 21, 1926 - May 21, 2015