We are men who lead, serve, protect and defend, whether we are giving out Coats for Kids, donating wheelchairs, lending a helping hand in disaster relief efforts, supporting local pregnancy centers or providing top-quality financial products.
The Balagnas celebrated their 47th anniversary in late January. Larry and Sheila met at a bowling alley in Farmington, Ill., where they were on competing teams. Sheila said it was love at first strike for her but it took him a little while to come around. They came to our area in 1995. It was a year later that Larry joined the Knights, following in the footsteps of two of their three sons, and soon after took his major degrees; he’s now also a Fourth Degree Knight. Larry and Sheila each retired in 2013, Larry as the event coordinator at Northwood University and Sheila as a credit manager for Gibraltar Industries. They’re active parishioners. Larry is usually ready with a smile to open the sanctuary door as a hospitality minister for the Sunday 9 a.m. Mass. At council events, he’s typically among the first to arrive and the last to leave. Sheila’s volunteer work includes being a member of Holy Spirit’s funeral ministry. Their sons live in Colorado, Illinois and Nebraska, and there are five granddaughters and one grandson.
