Wanda Ballew, our wife, mother and friend left us on January 15, 2009. She was born in Sprague Washington to George and Florence Wickham on February 8, 1927. The Wickham's soon moved to Medford, Oregon, where Wanda grew to become a young woman and where she met the love of her life, Harold. Wanda and Harold's first date was a fried-chicken picnic on the 4th of July in 1946. The rest as they say was history.

They married in Manhattan, Kansas on October 20 of that same year. In 1947, Harold and Wanda moved from Kansas back to Medford, where their daughter Ginger was born. Harold found his calling and his career when he found work on the construction of McNary Dam. From that point on they moved from place to place following the next big construction project. Many times these projects took them to remote areas, from the towering pines of the Cascades to the ancient oaks of the Ozark Mountains, from the searing heat of central California, to the bone-chilling cold of the Canadian Rockies, where their son Gary spent so much of his early years he thought he was Canadian. Each place became a new adventure, and Wanda relished each one.

Wanda and Harold's love endured through many trials and tribulations. They moved to the Tri-Cities in 1977, and like many folks who were just passing through, the community became their home. They lived in both Richland and Kennewick, and had a brief jaunt as snow birds when Harold retired in 1990. Wanda loved to spoil her grandchildren and she gave much to those around her.

She is survived by her husband Harold, her brother Richard and his wife Elaine, her children Ginger and Gary, their spouses Jeff and Karen, her grandchildren Mike, Greg, Cindy, Theresa, Emma and Sean, and her great-grandchildren Riley, Casey, Bella, Ean and Dylan. She will be missed greatly by all that knew her. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM, Tuesday, January 20th at Einan's Funeral Home in Richland. The family asks that those who knew her or knew those who loved her please join them. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.