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James Robert Bales Sr. © Trout Funeral Home 11-2006 Submitted by: Jo Aguirre
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James Robert Bales, Sr was known affectionately to many as JR or Pappy, but to his family they just called him Dad, Pop & Grandpa. He was born December 5th, 1929 to Zeb and Minnie Bales in Cheyenne Oklahoma and was called home to our father on Saturday, November 18th.
Until the age of four JR lived in Madill Oklahoma and then his family moved to the Ponca City area where he lived for the rest of his life. On December 19th, 1948 he married the love of his life, Visa June Wilson. For many years they made their home on old highway 60 across the old River Bridge. It was on this farm that JR and June raised their 6 natural children: JR Jr, Ernie, Vicki, Steve, Debbie and Rocky, and several other “children of the heart”. For you see, anytime anyone had problems, nowhere to turn or just family issues - they could always count on J.R & June to lend them a bed and a place to stay for however long they needed it. Although the original farm house was only 2 bedrooms and one bathroom, the “Bunkhouse” always had an extra bed and JR and June always had an extra spot or 2 at the kitchen table. It was just this way that several additional people came to live with them, but none of them took a place in JR’s heart as much as Pete Epperson, who was accepted into the Bales’ family and was considered one of the kids and part of the family. So it was only natural when you asked JR how many kids he had; he would always pause before answering.
From his children JR also inherited several new daughters and sons that he called his in-laws or sometimes his out-laws. He loved his daughter-in-laws: Michele, Paula & JoAnn and he loved his son-in-laws: John & Jeff - referring to them as “the good old boys”. JR had 25 grandchildren including: Toni, Nikki, Robert, Ali, Todd, Kelby, Chad, Kesha, Brandon, Scott, Christopher, Jeff, Neffanie, Kristi, Michael, Jerrod, John Robert, Robbie, Lindsey, Danielle, Courtney, Trever, Matthew, Shawn and Lindsey, plus he always counted his 2 angels – grandsons Scotty and Blake "PYT*. He also has 23 great-grand-children with 2 more on the way. JR was very athletic in school and excelled at baseball, basketball and football. During World War 11- JR and his brother Dean joined the US Army National Guard together and served in the 45th division. They went to Boot Camp at Fort Polk Louisiana and had many stories to tell about that time in his life. After boot camp when JR was 19 he married June and found out afterwards that the army would not allow “married” men to go war. He started working for the Santa Fe Railroad when he was a teenager, but quit to establish and open the H&B Hatchery on Union Avenue.
JR was quite the businessman and when the business kept growing and expanding he relocated to the current 307 West Grand location and changed the name to Jay’s Farm & Ranch Supply. Then in the early 1970’s he went back to work for Santa Fe and worked as a Track supervisor until his retirement in 1996. JR was always a hard worker and never sat still for very long and he had many hobbies. He loved animals and especially horses. For years he was a member of several riding clubs and rode on trail rides in the summer. Some of his fondest memories and favorite times were going on the trail rides with his best friends, Sonny and Zach Newlin, & Russell Jones. It was always a special treat if you were on of the lucky ones that got to go on the trail rises with him. He also loved his chuck wagons (which he built) and his team of red sorrel mules: which were never beaten in the Chuck Wagon Races at The Ben Johnson Rodeo in Pawhuska.
JR just loved to go fast as he also built raced cars for years and loved to work on all types of automobiles. JR grew gardens that covered acres and raised probably every animal that you could think of. It was nothing to arrive at the Bales’ family home and be greeted by several different kinds of running animals and especially little baby pigs. He loved to work on anything leather and spent hours and hours working in his leather shop at Jay’s Farm and Ranch Supply making all kinds of leather stuff, including belts, saddles and anything that a horse or mule or human could wear. Anyone that owns a leather item made by JR Bales owns something made with love by loving hands. The grandkids even thought that he smelled like leather, it was his own special scent. JR’s other hobbies included the railroad, horse shoeing which he practiced for years, ceramics which he made for years, the old-time country music and did we mention that he loved the railroad.
He could talk for hours about working on the railroad and about his “boys” on the railroad and he could listen to Johnny Cash for hours, sometimes the same songs over and over again. During the summer trail rides it was always a prank of his to crank up the country music as loud as possible and watch everyone come rolling out of tents and sleeping bags, yelling and screaming. If he could have he would have still been driving the railroad tracks everyday and listening to Johnny Cash. He loved anything that pertained to the outdoors. He was a member of the First Free Will Baptist Church of Ponca City, where June & he renewed their wedding vows this past summer with several of their children, grand children and great- grand children present. JR never met a stranger- or at least they didn’t stay that way for very long. If you were his friend, he would give you the shirt off of his back and his last dollar if you asked.
He tried to instill in his kids a sense of pride and he was always at his best when each of his children started driving. He would help them get their license and he would help them find their first car, then he would help them get their first car loan and then the car insurance. Then when all of this was done, he would hand you the first “coupon” book and tell you that you had better make sure that all of the payments were made on time and then you had to pay your own insurance also. BUT he did “help” everyone get their first cars and boy what classics some of them were. When times were hard, he just worked harder and he never got down or depressed. He was a man: a man’s man, strong, hard-working, supportive, loving & funny. A person that any and everyone would have been proud to call husband, Dad, brother, Grandpa, Uncle and friend. He was one in a million!
JR is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, June, his children, Son – JR Bales, Jr, and his wife Michele of Ponca City, Son - Ernie Bales and his wife Paula – Ponca City, Daughter - Vicki Navarre and her husband John of Trophy Club, TX, Son - Steve Bales and his wife JoAnn of Ponca City, Daughter Deborah Sharp and her husband Jeff of Ponca City and Son – Roger “Rocky” Bales of Ponca City, his brother Tony Bales and his wife Anita of Brandon, Miss, Nephew – Kennard Bales of Collinsville, Okla, Nephew -Alvin Thompson and his wife Janiece of Ark City, KS, Nephew Rick Cockran of Ponca City, Nephew - Kevin Wilson of Ponca City, Nieces: Jessica and Jamie Bales of Brandon, Miss. Brother-in-laws Gay Lorn “Sonny” Wilson and his wife Anna of Ponca City and Randy Horn of Texas. Aunt - Ernestine Beck of Ponca City, Aunt- Jack Roberts – of Arkansas, 24 grand children, and 23 great-grand children. Numerous cousins and friends.
JR was preceded in death by his son: Pete Epperson, his 2 grandsons: Thomas Blake "PYT" Bales and Scotty Bales, his mother Minnie Mae Bales Hand, his father Zeb Bales, his step- father: Carwin Hand, his brothers Donald Dean Bales & Larry Gene Bales, his sister: Oleta Marie. Sister in law's: Questa Price & Tawya Horn.
The family will be receiving family and friends, Tuesday evening, November 21st at Trout Funeral Homes for 6:00 -8:00 P.M. Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, November 22nd at 10:00 A.M. at the First Free Will Baptist Church, 1900 E. Hubbard Rd, Ponca City, Okla with the Rev. David Bigger, officiating. Burial will be at the Longwood Cemetery, NE of Ponca City. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home and Crematory.
Pall Bearers will be JR's grandsons: Robert Bales, Todd Bales, Kelby Bales, Chad Bales, Brandon Bales, Scott Navarre, Christopher Navarre. Jeffrey Navarre, Cpl. Jerrod Sharp, USMC., John Robert Sharp, Michael Bales, Robbie Jones, Matthew Bales Sullivan, Trever Bales & Shawn Bales. Honorary Pall Bearers: Kennard Bales, Alvin Leroy Thompson, Jeff Sharp, John Navarre, David Newlin, Rick Cockran, Gay Lorn Wilson, Kevin Wilson, Ron Colberg, Randy Horn, Frank Sturtz, A.C. Newton, Alvin Thompson, Jack Norris, Robert Feaster, David Moorehead, James Ray Bales, Curtis Bales, Ralph Epperson, and the entire Middle Division of the Santa Fe Topeka Railroad.
In Lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in JR's name to the First Free Will Baptist Church, 1900 E. Hubbard Road, Ponca City, Okla, 74604. The family will be at the home of Ernie & Paula Bales, 2345 E. Coleman Road, Ponca City
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