IN MEMORIAM
EXPANDED EULOGIES
Farol Bale
Services for Farol J. (Pankratz) Bale, 90, of Kansas City, Kansas, who went home to the Lord on Aug. 4, were Aug. 10 at Maple Hill Cemetery in Kansas City.
Born May 18, 1930, she was a daughter of Henry E. Pankratz and Verna Schroeder Pankratz of Hillsboro.
Surviving relatives are husband Lawrence “Larry” J. Bale, daughter Jamie J. Pankratz, brother H. Stuart Pankratz, and several nieces and nephews.
Born in Hillsboro, she spent most of her early childhood in Lehigh and most of her later childhood and teenage years in Hillsboro.
Farol was a gifted musician whose primary instruments were pipe organ and piano. She performed regularly through her teenage years on both her instruments at First Mennonite Church of Hillsboro. A 1948 graduate of Hillsboro High School, she was the primary accompanist for band and choral ensembles and soloists. She also played clarinet in band, was a drum majorette, and a cheerleader.
Farol graduated from Bethany College in Lindsborg in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in music education. She continued to perform as organist at her home church during her college years and was a life member of the Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity, and the Sigma Phi Omega sorority.
She went on to become band and choral teacher at Durham for elementary and high school levels for two years and also taught private lessons.
On May 8, 1953, she married Larry Bale. After he returned home from service as a pilot in the Korean War, they moved to Maine, where he was stationed at Loring Air Force Base.
After Larry completed active duty they moved to Lawrence, where he pursued a master’s degree at the University of Kansas while Farol worked in the university admissions office and pursued further organ studies.
The couple moved to Kansas City, Kansas, in 1957, and Farol was hired as a first grade teacher at Parker Elementary School, where she worked for five years.
She chose to be a stay-at-home mother after the birth of her daughter but continued to serve at Jami’s school as a volunteer to students needing assistance with reading skills.
She was a lifelong dog lover, rescuer, and advocate for homeless animals.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her memory to Great Plans SPCA of Merriam, Kansas; Old Mission United Methodist Church of Fairway, Kansas; or the music ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.