BALL, William Clay 1845 - 1923

BALL, CAMPBELL

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 4/30/2006 at 21:32:11

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger-Journal"
Monday, March 12, 1923
Page 8, Column 1

JUST AMONG OURSELVES

… --William C. BALL, who has been very ill at his home, 201 East Kirkwood, is getting along nicely. …

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"The Fairfield Tribune"
Thursday, March 15, 1923
Page 4, Column 5

More or Less Personal.

William C. BALL, who has been quite ill at his home on East Kirkwood street for the past two weeks, is improving. …

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"The Daily Ledger-Journal"
Fairfield, Iowa
Friday, March 30, 1923
Front Page, Column 3

W. C. BALL DEAD; FUNERAL HERE TOMRROW
End Comes to Old Citizen Active All His Life In the Affairs of The Community.

William C. BALL, one of the best known citizens of Jefferson county, active in its affairs and useful to his community, died last night at 6:30 oclock at the family home, 201 East Kirkwood street after an illness of four weeks.

Funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at 3 oclock at the Christian church and will be conducted by Rev. R. H. Polly assisted by Rev. H. Sears Thomson of the Presbyterian church. Interment will be made in the family lot in Evergreen cemetery.

W. C. BALL was a factor in Jefferson county. Always alive to every public movement, he was an eloquent and persuasive speaker and an active participant in community and political affairs.

He had many unique experiences in his early day practice of law, western cattle and sheep enterprises, and excursions into the realms of books, and he mingled his experiences and his literature in a way that was full of fascination and charm when he chose to appear upon a program for the delight of his friends. He was an ardent student of Shakespeare and could quote the bard of Avon by the page and he was one of the foremost figures in the Shakespeare club, said to be the oldest organization of the sort in continuous existence in Fairfield.

Born in Virginia

He was born in Brooke county, Va., March 27, 1845 and the family came to Jefferson county in 1854. When he was 18 years old he finally succeeded in enlisting in the army, and he served until the end of the civil war in Co. I, Forty-fifth Iowa Volunteer infantry.

He was graduated from the famous old Axline university here, that school being the forerunner of the state university, and he pursued his studies at the latter school, taking the law course and graduating in its first class in 1869.

Striking out for the far west, he went to Kansas and for a year practiced law in Girard, leaving that town for Des Moines to continue in that profession.

After a year, however, he returned to Jefferson county to the old home place, five miles west of the city where he engaged in agriculture and livestock raising with marked success.

He married Miss Mary C. CAMPBELL in 1872 and they lived on the farm until he retired from active life thirty years ago and they came to Fairfield to make their home. Mrs. BALL with one daughter, Miss Cora BALL, supervisor of music in the public schools survive him.

Active In Community

Mr. BALL was a lifelong republican and an active worker in the ranks of that party. He was a member of the Christian church and a leader in its work. It was said of him that he could rise in meeting at any time and preach a sermon full of thought and fervor.

He was a member of the city council for eight years, on the cemetery board for a quarter of a century and city assessor at the time of his death having held the office for ten years.

In 1880 he went to Utah and for four years was in the sheep and cattle business, buying large herds and flocks in the mountains and plains and driving them east to range and market. It was an experience that he dwelt upon with fond memory and from which he often drew for the entertainment of his friends.

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger-Journal"
Tuesday, April 3, 1923
Page 7, Column 4

PROBATE OF WILL

To All Whom It May Concern:

Notice is hereby given that an instrument, purporting to be the Last Will and Testament of William C. BALL deceased is now on file in the office of the Clerk of the District Court of Jefferson County, and that Wednesday, April 11, A. D., 1923 at 10 oclock a.m., it being the ninth day of the April, 1923 term, of said court, has been set for proof and final hearing of same.

Witness my hand and the seal of said Court this 2nd day of April, 1923.

C. W. IRELAND
Clerk of the District court.
79-2t

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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Buried in Old Fairfield City Cemetery, Lot 36, initially. At some point he and other family members were moved to Evergreen Cemetery. The monument in Old Fairfield Cemetery was left there, and a new one was installed in Evergreen. Wife Mary died in 1931 and is buried with him.