Carla Bateman

Carla Carlton Bateman was born in Lovell, Wyoming on October 5, 1927 to loving parents, Annie Jensen Carlton and Hiram Cash Carlton.  She grew up in Lovell alongside her younger sisters, Wilda Rae and Lela Mae.  Her senior in high school brought a family move to Logan UT.  She graduated from the St Marks School of Nursing in Salt Lake City UT in 1950 and began her nursing career.  She married Bryce Bateman in the Salt Lake City temple on June 3, 1952. They welcomed two children, Marsha and Bart while in Salt Lake City UT.  They moved their young family to Pleasant Hill CA in 1961 and there added their son Brad.  A move to Plano TX came in, where both Carla and Bryce resided until their passing. Their home was always open for those in need of a place to stay and also for many celebrations.

Until their move to Texas, Carla’s nursing career included being a surgical nurse at St Marks Hospital and a staff nurse at the Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind. She was also an Obstetrics and Gynecology office nurse and charge nurse at the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City.  In California, she was a nurse at the Concord Community Hospital.  In 1974 she was offered a full-time position as a school nurse by the Plano Independent School District---she was the third school nurse hired by the PISD and thrived in her career there of over twenty years.

Carla became involved in PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity) and eventually headed up this organization.  PUSH provided Thanksgiving and Christmas for Plano residents in need.  With her efforts, she grew the program from 35 to 250 families served.  Carla was the Plano Salvation Army Treasurer from 1978 to 1994.  She processed and accounted for all donations and also approved funds for food, lodging or medicine for needy families---often in the middle of the night.  In 1979, she became the Coordinator of Head Start Health and served there until 1991.  In 1982 she was honored by the City of Plano as Volunteer of the Year. She was a founding Board member of the Plano Crisis Center where she helped to organized and implement crisis phone lines, locate and raise money for a building, and hire a building director.  While on the Board of the Collin County Child Welfare from 1987-1994, she organized appreciation dinners for foster parents, fun events for foster children and public seminars on child abuse.

Because of the unmet needs of children they witnessed, she and Dr. Allan deVilleneuve fundraised for and co-founded the Plano Children’s Medical Clinic in 1991.  Children received care for no fee and their parents often were given other donations of needed supplies, clothing, diapers, food, etc.  Carla received a Certificate of Honorable Mention from the North Texas Central Child Protective Services in October 1993 and The President’s Award issued by the Texas School Nurse Association only three months later.  In 1999, PISD recognized her as one of its PISD Centennial 100 Heroes and she was also named one of 100 outstanding nurses in the DFW area.  She was a Board Member for the Caring for Children Foundation, which raised money to provide health insurance for children. The BYU Alumni Association dubbed her an Honorary Outstanding Alumni and she was delighted to have her grandson help her throw out the first pitch at the Frisco Rough Riders game.

Carla is remembered by many for recruiting them to serve one of the many organizations she knew needed help.  Tales of refurbishing bicycles and toys for PUSH and ringing the bell at Christmas for the Salvation Army are among the thousands being recounted.

Carla was a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was always serving those congregations in one capacity or another---perhaps even several simultaneously.  She served a full-time mission with her husband, Bryce, in the Jacksonville Florida mission in 1995. Her constant service to her fellow man was rooted in her love for and devotion to Jesus Christ.

Her greatest joy, however, was found in her family.  She was proceeded in death by her parents, four older half siblings (Beulah, Horace, Emma and Fred), two younger sisters, her beloved daughter, Marsha Bateman and her husband Bryce.  She is survived by many adoring nieces, nephews, and cousins, her sons Bart (wife Donna) and Brad (wife Julie) both of Plano.  The real twinkle in her eye was always her nine grandchildren: Clark Bateman of Melissa (wife Renae and 2 children), Kathryn Bateman (husband Nate) of Austin, Preston Bateman (wife Bethany) of Lehi UT, Andrea Bateman of Dallas, Kent Bateman (wife Daryl and 2 children) of Oregon, Caroline Bateman of Houston, Carson Bateman (wife Natasha) of Provo UT, Dawson Bateman of Plano TX and Matt Calvin of Plano TX.

In lieu of flowers, feel free to donate to the Salvation Army (give.salvationarmyusa.org) or Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/humanitarian-services).

There will be a visitation on Friday February 4, 2022 from 6:00-8:00pm at Allen Family Funeral Options located at 2112 W. Spring Creek Pkwy. Plano, Tx 75023 and a service on February 5, 2022 at 1:00pm at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints located at 2700 Round Rock Trail Plano, Tx 75075