Barbara E. Davenport

Barbara Davenport, 87, Upland, passed away on December 26, 2021. Barb was born May 3, 1934, in Long Beach, California to Rodric and Ellen (Tench) Ballard. Her father was the Long Beach Director of Recreation and she grew up on athletic courts, football and track fields, baseball diamonds, and playgrounds. Her favorite place to be, though, was the beach. Barb married Bob Davenport in 1953 while they were both students at UCLA, where they had their first two children, Dani and Dane. They settled in Upland, Indiana in 1959 where Bob became the football coach at Taylor University. It took a lifetime for Barb to get accustomed to a small town and long, cold winters. She said she was "environmentally really unhappy" for a long time and especially disappointed to learn, early on, that March didn't bring beautiful weather. At the end of their first year in Indiana, she said if she had $45.00 she would have purchased a one-way ticket to California and taken herself and the kids back. However, she, in time, felt that God wanted her in Upland, and she worked to make it her home. Barb has had a profound impact on her community. She was instrumental in having kindergarten added to the Eastbrook School District. She made sure that the elementary schools had playgrounds. She coordinated and coached local summer softball leagues for girls. She started a summer day camp called Fun in the Sun, which combined Barb's two favorite things, playing games and learning about Jesus. If Barb saw a need in the community, she worked to fill it. She even talked the local grocery store into selling taco shells, something she missed from her days in California. Barb was active in Upland's Helping Hand and was a board member for the Pregnancy Help Center. She was also a member of the Upland Community Church. She worked with elementary kids through the Kids Hope organization. Barb's favorite story is about her relationship with Jesus and how she learned, through Campus Crusade for Christ at UCLA, that Jesus was a companion and a friend. Learning that Jesus had died as a ransom for her so that she could be reconciled to God the Father and walk in fellowship with Him revolutionized her whole being. Barb's relationship with Jesus guided her entire life. In the early 1960s, she started a women's prayer group at Taylor that met on Thursday and prayed for Taylor faculty and personnel. This prayer group still meets, and Barb personally credits a lot of what God has done at Taylor University to the work of the Thursday morning group. Barb has served as a team leader for several cross-country and overseas bicycle trips through Wandering Wheels, an organization she founded with Bob Davenport in 1966. Barb absolutely loved to travel, going all over the world, usually leading groups of students or bikers. Her favorite travelers, though, were her grandchildren who she treated to a "grandma trip" when each of them turned 10. She took her grandchildren all over the country, visiting Disneyworld, Legoland, Hershey Park, The San Diego Zoo, New York City, and Niagara Falls. Barb grew to love Taylor as if she had been here all her life. In fact, she finished her undergrad degree at Taylor, graduating in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. She went on to get her Master of Arts Degree at Ball State, graduating in 1989. After graduating, Barb worked at Anderson University as an assistant registrar. In 1993 she was hired as the registrar at Taylor University. In 1998, she moved into a program at Taylor called AIM, an academic intensive module, that worked with at-risk students. She retired from Taylor in 2004. After her parents passed away, she established a football scholarship in her parents' name. Barb is survived by her children, Dani (Neil) Williams, Dane (Laurie) Davenport, Daphne (Drew) Howes and Dawn Davenport, 14 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren, and her sister, Rodelyn McPherson. She was preceded in death by her parents; Rodric and Ellen Ballard; sibling's; Eddy (Bev) Davenport and Dex (Lynn) Davenport; and grandson; Beau Williams Barb loved helping people in need; therefore, in lieu of flowers please send donations to Helping Hands (Upland Community Church at 439 West Berry Avenue, Upland, Indiana, 46989). A memorial service will be held Friday, January 28, 2022, at 1:00 PM, located at Upland Community Church, (439 E 600 S Upland, IN 46989) with Pastor Mark Biehl officiating. A graveside service will be held at a later date. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Jones-Smith Chapel of Armes-Hunt Funeral Home. Service Fri, Jan 28, 2022 at 1:00 pm Upland Community Church 439 W. Berry St.Upland, IN 46989