Funeral service for Mrs. Luvenia Ballance, 92, Lawton, will be at 1:30 pm Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Clantford Drummond, Associate Pastor of Greater Galilee Baptist Church, officiating. Mrs. Ballance departed this life on Sunday, May 26. She was born December 12, 1920 in Texarkana, Texas to Clarence and Esther (Norton) Collins. She was the oldest of four children. Early in her life the family moved to Wisconsin, but they moved back to Texarkana when she was six. She attended Dunbar High School. She spent a long time taking care of her sick mother. Luvenia had no formal training as a nurse, but some people thought she was just as good. In 1944, Luvenia moved to Los Angeles, California, where she worked at a fish cannery. Later, she went to work for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company where she met the love of her life, Charles Ballance. They were married on April 9, 1954 in Los Angeles. Luvenia and Charles moved to Lawton when Charles was transferred by Goodyear. She and her husband were avid bowlers. She became a member of Greater Galilee Baptist Church where she was a very faithful member. She was a member of the mother's board, and at one time she was the chairperson. Luvenia was involved in local civic activities. She attended activities at all three of the high-rises until her health no longer permitted. Luvenia loved doing arts and crafts, traveling, taking pictures of everything and everyone, music and reading. Her favorite book was the Bible, and her favorite scripture was Psalm 23. A quote she loved was "May the works that I've done speak for me". She leaves to mourn; her sister, Dorothy Collins, Los Angeles, California; three nephews, Kenneth Collins, Darryl Collins both of Los Angeles, and Lawrence W. Bizzell, Seattle, Washington; a niece, Esther L. Guess and her husband Ivory, Los Angeles; very good friends, David and Diane Schultz, Lee and Vernice Stuart, Debra Garrett, Fran McCutcheon, George and Gudren Kilmetz; various cousins; numerous friends; and her Greater Galilee Church family. She was preceded in death by her husband; both parents; a brother, Clarence Collins, Jr.; and a sister, Virgil Binen.