Arden Baltensperger

Arden Albert Baltensperger age 92, of Las Cruces, NM died Tuesday October 6, 2015. Memorial services will be held at 2:30 p.m., Monday, October 12, at First Presbyterian Church. Burial will follow in the Masonic Cemetery with Military Honors. He was born December 25, 1922 in Kimball, NE to Fredrick Jacob and Louise Barbara Manz (a native of Switzerland). He grew up on a Nebraskan farm during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression and he credited the many lessons from that childhood with spurring an interest in plant science. He attended grade school in a (often joked about) one room school house – Dist. 22. He attended high school in Kimball, received a BS and MS degree from University of Nebraska in 1947 and 1949, respectively. He received his Ph. D. from Iowa State University in 1958. The extended formal education was partially because he said he was a slow learner, but also because of his military service (43-46) and the farming (49-53). He was an officer in the Field Artillery in the Pacific Theater. He then operated a stock farm near Denton, TX for his father in law (Paul Schlosser) and conducted soil fertility research at the Texas A&M Denton Branch Station from 1949 to 1953.

He was a devoted husband of 64 years to Elsie Nora Schlosser before her passing January 1, 2012. They met in Denton, TX while he was in the Army and married a year later after returning from the Philippines on June 12, 1947.

He was influential in Barbara Reed and David Baltensperger, niece and nephew having careers in crop science. He mentored David Baltensperger and others for their roles as department heads.

Much of Arden's mature life was devoted to teaching and plant breeding. After graduating at ISU, he taught and conducted sorghum and bermudagrass research at University of Arizona. In 1963 he accepted the Agronomy Department Head Position at NMSU, which he held for 12 years. In 1975 he took a faculty position as professor of Agronomy until he retired in 1988. From 1988 until 2010 he served as Research Director and later as consultant for the Pennington/Seeds West Co. in Yuma, AZ.

Arden was active in many agronomy and turfgrass organizations, such as the American Society of Agronomy (for which he served as president in 1990), The C5 Crop Science Society of America, and the Southwest Turfgrass Association. He was also active on many NMSU committees, including the honorary Agriculture Fraternity 'Gamma Sigma Delta' (for which he served as president in 1979), Kiwanis and Voz Vaqueros, and in the Presbyterian Church (as Elder and teacher).

Dr. Baltensperger's academic achievement has been recognized worldwide through his breeding of turf-type and forage bermudagrasses, which began in 1978 at New Mexico State University. His efforts led to the release of NuMex Sahara, the first improved seed-propagated turf-type bermudagrass and over the course of the next 15 years, 6 additional seeded varieties, including 'Princess 77'. Royalties from the sale of NuMex Sahara have brought more money back to the University than all other breeding programs combined.

His bermudagrasses are grown for recreation and to feed livestock in Africa (Egypt), Asia (Pacific Rim), Australia, Hawaii, and in 21 states of the continental US. At many of the overseas locations, soil conditions, water quality, and water availability would have prevented the use of grasses if Dr. Baltensperger's seeded bermudagrasses had not been available.

More recently, Princess 77 was used as the foundation of the playing surface used in the NFL's Super Bowl in 2004 and 2005. Arden's last article on seeded bermugrasses 'A century of seeded bermudagrass production - and more to come' was published in November 2014, when he was 91.

Arden was a mentor to many and was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. Slow to anger and quick to compliment, he leaves a professional legacy of successful students and plant improvement.

He was a good father to four children, an even better grandfather to thirteen grandchildren and saint-like to eight great-grandchildren.

Survivors include son Bruce and his wife Anna of Arlington, VA, daughter Cathey Manning of Austin, TX, and sons, Paul and his wife Rita of Houston, TX, and Carl and his wife Maureen of Kapolei, HI; grandchildren, Judith Baltensperger of Arlington, VA, Rebecca and Bradley Adams of Arlington, VA, Matthew and Erin of Arlington, TX, Sarah and Benjamin Johnson of Arlington, VA, John Manning of Savannah GA, Daniel Manning of Austin, TX, Jacob and Kathryn of Denver, CO, Austin and Lauren of San Antonio, TX, April and Michael Snader of Houston, TX, Zachary Baltensperger of Las Cruces, NM, Abigail and David Elliott of Kuia, HI, Noah and Brenna of Spring, TX, Caleb Baltensperger of Kapolei, HI; great grandchildren Joslin and Asher of Arlington, TX, Elby and Oliver Johnson of Arlington, VA, Silas of Denver, CO, and Caleb, Benjamin, Adalie of San Antonio, TX.

He lived a good and long life and then, when the time came, he fell asleep and went on to the next adventure.

If desired, contribution may be made to the Arden and Elsie Endowed Scholarship at New Mexico State University, P.O. Box 3590, Las Cruces, NM 88003.

""Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."" (John 12:24)

A reception will be held after the burial at 1807 Halfmoon Dr. to celebrate what Arden often referred to as – a very fortunate and blessed life. Keep Smiling…

Arrangements are with Getz Funeral Home, located at the corner of Solano and Bowman Ave. in Las Cruces, NM. To sign our local online guestbook, please visit www.GetzCares.com.