Della Balland

Della Baland Della Baland, 83, of LaPorte, died Oct. 14, 2005, at a local nursing home. Mrs. Baland was born June 25, 1922, in Clear Lake, Wis., to Charles E. Warner and Gertrude E. Francis Warner. Della married Malcom Baland in Duluth, Minn. They moved to LaPorte in 1943. Della's family was her greatest love, a source of uplifting pride and the subject of her constant attention. We will miss her dearly even as we embrace with joy all she added to our lives. The course of events took away her life, but her spirit remains because of many memories in all those living who cared about her. Her other love and joy was for gardening where she took great pride in her neatly manicured yard. She also took great pride in her job working at the Planetorium Greenhouse for 32 years. She was a wonderful cook, and a member of Bellvue Baptist Church. Mrs. Baland is survived by her sons, Ted Baland of Fort Collins and Tom Baland of Hawaii; daughters, Donna Dobson of Florence, Ore., Merilyn Roberts of LaPorte, Pat MacKendrick of St. James, Minn., and Maxine Hempstead of Loveland; three brothers, one sister, 16 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, seven great-great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband and her son-in-law, Dean Roberts. A funeral will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Bohlender Funeral Chapel. Interment will follow at Resthaven Memory Gardens Cemetery. Those who desire may view Della at Bohlender Funeral Chapel from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.