Myrna Ballain

Myrna Rae Ballain, 74 of Lynchburg, VA, passed away on Thursday, June 27, 2024 at the Lynchburg Hospital in Lynchburg.

Graveside services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 12, 2024 in the Emerson, IA Cemetery.

Loess Hills Funeral Home in Malvern, IA is in charge of arrangements.

OBITUARY (by family)
Myrna Rae Ballain was born on July 17, 1949 in Red Oak, Iowa, to parents Myron C. and Martha J. Ballain. She was 74 years, 11 months and 10 days of age when she died on June 27, 2024.
Myrna grew up in southwest Iowa and graduated from Nishna Valley High School near Emerson, Iowa, in 1967. She attended Immanuel Hospital of Nursing in Omaha, NE and graduated as a registered nurse in 1970. She then served in the U.S. Army for two years. After attending boot camp in Texas and an assignment in Colorado, she was sent to Walter Reed Hospital for the rest of her tour of duty and cared for wounded soldiers returning from Viet Nam. She remained in Maryland after her time in the army and attended Washington Bible College, graduating in 1976.
Myrna was interested in and felt a calling for missions and moved in that direction by going to Morocco, in 1977, as a resident nurse at the Children’s Haven, near Azrou. In addition to nursing, she served as a classroom teacher, parent and “Jill of all trades”. On Saturdays she made herself available to Moroccan neighbors who came with many and various medical needs. Her life was lived in service to her Lord and to the people around her. Her love of the Lord was shown in her devotion to duty, her desire to help people and her steadfastness in the hardest of times. She retired from the Children’s Haven in 2022 after over 40 years of service and returned to the United States, settling in Lynchburg, VA.
One of the desires of Myrna’s heart was to have a daughter. God blessed her with three daughters, Karima Freeman of Lynchburg, VA, Marjana Sefiane of Surrey, B.C. and Nassima of Victoria, BC. Other survivors include son-in-law, Keith Freeman and two grandsons, Max and Kanon Freeman. Brothers and wives, Marlyn and Jean Ballain of Lake Havasu City, AZ, Myron and Sandra Ballain of Papillion, NE and Marty and Laurie Ballain of Idaho Falls, ID, David Ballain of Hermitage, TN. Sisters, Marcia Kellison of Sun City West, AZ., Marlene Fletcher and Linda Hullman, of Shenandoah,IA. Also, many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends.