Clear, 68° F
(Jan. 9, 2005)
Dorothy E. Balkins died Jan. 9, 2005, at her home in Boise, Idaho.
She was 80. "Dottie" was born Feb. 7, 1924, in Portland, Ore., to Joseph L. and Chloe Evelyn (Lickey) McConaughey. Growing up, she lived in Washington, Montana and Oklahoma, as her father followed his calling as an official in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
She made lifelong friends wherever she lived, even as a child. She graduated from Platte Valley Academy in Shelton, Neb., and LaSierra College in LaSierra, Calif. Dottie and Almon J. "Dick" Balkins were married July 4, 1948, in San Mateo, Calif. They moved to Powell, where Dick was a family practice doctor, and then to Boulder, Colo., where they lived for more than 30 years. Recently, the couple moved to Boise.
Dottie's life revolved around her family, her church family and her friends. She consistently found ways for herself and for others to help someone in need. She often opened her home to those who needed a warm meal, a place to sleep or a friendly conversation. Dottie took pleasure in quilting and in camping. Her volunteer activities included teaching health education to high school students and community groups. She and Dick loved to travel by motor home to visit friends and internationally to work in clinics and refugee camps. She was an active member of the Garden Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church.
She is survived by her husband, Dick; sister, Mary Jane McConaughey of Boise; daughter, Chloe (Norman) Clark of Zimbabwe, Africa; two sons, Jim (Judy) Balkins of Boise, and Glenn (Jeenie) Balkins and of Corvallis, Ore.; niece, Susan McConaughey and Keith James of Casper; and four grandchildren, Cora and Colin Clark of Walla Walla, Wash., and Emily and Amy Balkins of Corvallis, Ore.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Joseph L. McConaughey.
A memorial service will be held at Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 2:30 p.m., with burial to follow at Dry Creek Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Overseas Medical and Health Education Foundation (OMHEF) c/o Mary Penner, 224 Woodside Road, Brunswick, ME 04011. OMHEF is a tax-exempt foundation that supports an orphanage in Harare, Zimbabwe.
