"Funeral services will be 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Sacred Heart Church, Sauk Rapids, for Mrs. Ellsworth (Alvina) Balder, 79, Russell Arms Apartments, who died Thursday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in Sauk Rapids.
"The Rev. Daniel Taufen will officiate and burial will be in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Minden Township, rural Benton County.
"Friends may call after 3 p.m. today at the Dingmann Funeral Home in Sauk Rapids. Daughters of Isabella will pray at 3:45 today at the funeral home, followed by Crosier Apostolate praying at 7 p.m., St. Monica's Christian Mothers of Sauk Rapids, St. Patrick's Christian Mothers and St. Mary's Mission Group of St. Patrick's Church praying the rosary at 7:30 and parish prayers at 8.
"Mrs. Balder was born Feb. 29, 1904 in St. George Township, rural Benton County, to the late John and Mary (Winkelman) Rau. She graudated from St. Cloud Teacher's College and taught rural school in the Benton County School District. She married Ellsworth Balder in November of 1925 in St. Patrick's Church, Minden Township, and they farmed in St. George Township until 1963. In 1964 she moved to Sauk Rapids. She was employed as a housekeeper at St. Patrick's Parish from 1963-1966 and was a member of Sacred Heart Church of Sauk Rapids, Sacred Heart Christian Mothers, St. Patrick's Christian Mothers, Crosier Apostolate, Daughters of Isabella, RSVP, St. Peter's Mission Group of Sacred Heart and St. Mary's Mission Group of St. Patrick's Parish.
"Survivors include children, Mrs. John (Mary) Farley, Huron, S.D.; Bernard, New Brighton; Mrs. Leo (Theresa) Moore, Grand Lake; James, New Hope; Mrs. Leonard (Doris) Powell, Pierre, S.D.; Mrs. Ernest (Carol) Jurek, Watertown, S.D.; and David, Foley; brothers and sisters, Mrs. Leona Adams, Washington, D.C., Albert, Mora; Mrs. Gladys Bean, Campbell, Calif.; Walter "Bud", Foley; and Mrs. Ethel Hathaway, Oroville, Calif.; 43 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
"She was preceded in death by her husband on Jan. 2, 1963, one daughter, Mrs. Lucietta Stang; sisters, Mrs. Eva Donovan and Bertha and Clara Rau; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
"Pallbearers will be grandsons, John Farley, Jr., Bernie Balder, Jr., James Balder, Jr., Gary Stang, Kurtis Jurek, Douglas Moore, Roger Powell, and Bill Balder."

Benton County News
Friday, December 3, 1982


[Per Jim Balder: Roger Powell could not make it to the funeral, so Tim Balder substituted as pallbearer.]