CENTRAL CITY - Freda E. Balliet, 96, of Central City, formerly of Oxford, died Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012, at Central City Care Center in Central City.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in Oxford. Burial will be in the Oxford Cemetery.

Mrs. Balliet was born Aug. 27, 1915, in Oxford the fourth of five children to Thomas Ollie and Elsie Elizabeth (Hollinger) Norman. She attended school in Oxford. After graduation in 1933, she was employed by Northwestern Bell Telephone Company. On July 16, 1940, she married Dr. J. Asa Balliet and they were blessed with a son, Norman Asa. She worked with her husband in his dental office until his death in July of 1975. After his death, she continued working as dental receptionist for Dr. Richard Whitman in Oxford.

Freda became a member of the First Baptist Church at age 11 and served faithfully in most areas of the church during her lifetime. Freda was interested in civic affairs and was always a willing volunteer where ever needed, having chaired the Blood Mobile and both Hospital and Walker Post Auxiliaries. She was a past member of Daughters of the Nile, Order of the Eastern Star, and Rebekah Lodge. She was an avid sports fan, her favorite being basketball unless Nebraska was playing football. She liked playing cards, especially bridge and pinochle, crocheting and being with family and friends. She liked flowers and had many African Violets in her home. Roses were her pride and joy outside, as were other flowers of her choice.

Surviving Freda is her son and his wife, Norm and Linda Balliet of Central City; one grandson, Geoffrey and Karin Balliet of Lincoln, one granddaughter, Jehan Balliet of Lincoln; three nieces, Joan and Preston Billings of Richland, Wash., Kay Hogge of San Clemente, Calif., and Judy Harvey of Missoula, Mont.; a nephew, Tom Norman of Glen Rose, Texas; and other relatives and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, two sisters, Vivian Pettygrove and Twila Robinson, two brothers, Harold (Mick) Norman and Roland (Stub) Norman, a sister-in-law, Claire Balliet, nieces, Janet Williams and Betty Norman, and a nephew, Richard Pettygrove.

Published in The Grand Island Independent on August 16, 2012