Belva Jo “B.J.” Orbison, age 72, of Manhattan, died July 27, 2010, at her residence.
She was born May 28, 1938, in Mulberry, Kansas, the daughter of George and Mable (Burke) Goodall.
B.J. attended Mulberry and Pittsburg schools and graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1955. She graduated from Kansas State University with her bachelors in Humanities in 1970 and her masters in German in 1974, graduating Cum Laude.
She was an administrative assistant for Federal Civil Service for many years. She later was an instructor for German at the University of Maryland from 1975-1976, taught German at Wamego High School in the late 1970’s, and then was a part-time language instructor at Kansas State University in German.
B.J. was a member of St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center, Friends of St. Isidore’s Society, St. Isidore’s Legacy Society, Kansas State University President’s Club, Kansas State University Land Grant Legacy, Bishop’s Circle, Kansas State University Alumni Association, Riley County Humane Society, Humane Society of the US, and Greenpeace.
She enjoyed helping with RCIA at St. Isidore’s, horses, cats, dogs, all the area wildlife and making photo albums. Environmental and animal protection issues were very important to BJ.
On May 27, 1955, in Pittsburg, Kansas, she was married to Harry D. Orbison. Mr. Orbison survives of the home. Additional survivors include her father, George Goodall of Pittsburg, KS; one sister, Trudy Sims and her husband Ed of Wichita, Kansas; and three nephews, Tyler Sims, Ian and Craig Rydzel.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Mable Goodall on June 26, 1986.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at 2:00 P.M. Friday at St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center with Father Keith Weber officiating. Interment will follow in Pleasant Valley Cemetery southeast of Manhattan.
A Christian Wake service will be held at 6:00 P.M. Thursday at the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Chapel.
Online condolences may be left for the family through the funeral home website at www.ymlfuneralhome.com.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center, Terry C. Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research or the Riley County Humane Society. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
