Wallace L. "Wally" Ballou

Wallace “Wally” Ballou, 92, a World War II Marine Corps veteran passed away on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at Life Care of Sandpoint. Funeral services will be conducted 2:00PM, Thursday, October 2, 2014 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with Father Bob Lilly officiating. Private entombment will take place in Holy Cross Cemetery in Spokane, WA. Wally was born Dec. 18, 1921 in Madison, Nebraska the son of Gordon and Magdelen Ballou. In 1934, when he was 12 years old, the family moved by horse and wagon to Idaho, and they became a part of the Forest Ballou family. He finished his education in Sandpoint and joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served our country faithfully during World War II. He was involved in the battles of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Saipan where he was wounded and received a purple heart. Following his discharge he returned to Idaho and like many of “the greatest generation” married and became an integral part of the fabric of our community. Wally married Catherine “Kay” Huber on Nov. 16, 1955 in Rochester, New York. He and Kay owned a ranch on Pine Street Loop in Sandpoint, and he also worked for the State Highway Department for many years. Following the death of his beloved Kay, he resided in assisted living facilities. He is survived by his sister: Gloria (Paul) Cozort of Sandpoint, brother-in-law: Robert Naccarato, many nieces and nephews and Jenni Post, his good friend, who assisted him in his later years.