Obituary: Mary Elizabeth Gibson Ball

Mary Elizabeth Gibson Ball 5/24/1918 -11/9/2005 Mary Ball, 87, passed away in her sleep Wednesday night after working through a third broken hip, subsequent heart attack and accompanying stroke. She was cared for at her own home with intermittent stays at a local convalescent residence. Mary was attended by vigilant family members and in-home caregivers for the last two years. Born in Salt Lake City, UT, in 1918 to Angus H. (Skipper) Gibson and Rebecca (Susie) Barkdull Gibson. Mary was widowed in 1991 from her husband of 50 plus years, Vaughn Williams Ball, also from Salt Lake City, UT. She is survived by her six children, 22 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Mary's six children are Karen (Rick) King of Corona del Mar, CA; Tracy (Karla) Ball of Oakland, CA; Mark (Darlene) Ball of Menlo Park, CA; Kristin (Paul J) Beyer of Sandy, UT; Robin (Joe) Zollinger of Canoga Park, CA; and Matthew (Tanya) Ball of West Hills, CA. Mary and Vaughn were married in January 1941, but since married women were not permitted on her employer's payroll at that time, the honeymoon was postponed until May of that same year when the two lovebirds were married/sealed in the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their devotion to the LDS faith would be the guiding compass of their entire lives, a legacy from which their family continues to be blessed. Supporting her husband's work throughout the years, Mary worked in many jobs but was particularly skilled in secretarial shorthand and efficient in executive assistant work where fast typists could always find employment. Later, Mary became an accountant, handling the books and records of multiple businesses, and finally Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto, CA, from which she retired in 1978. Her husband's career as a Sales Manager for the General Mills Corporation (for over 36 years) caused Mary and Vaughn to live all over the country, moving from Salt Lake City to Chicago to Cincinnatti; traveling in the military during World War II; living in San Leandro, CA; moving north to Eugene and Junction City, OR, and eventually residing in Atherton, CA. After retirement, Mary and Vaughn moved back to the family farm in Junction City, which had remained a second home throughout their married lives. Hollyaire Farms (110 acres) grew sweet and sour cherries, peaches, blackberries, walnuts and filberts, and was most famously known for holly trees which were harvested and cut into Christmas wreaths and decorative bows during the holiday season. They filled mail-order requests from around the globe. It was on Hollyaire that Mary felt the most rooted and held onto the greatest memories of her life. It is the place that her children will always claim as the foundation for the work ethic that drives them today. As a proud member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP), Mary was definitely of pioneer stock. It was rare to hear her complain. Yet, Mary and Vaughn experienced the kind of struggles and tragedies that would fill books of fiction because they seemed too sensational to be non-fiction. Despite the hardships, Mary's life was filled with grace, a love of the arts and family history. She was a seasoned genealogist and an amazing cook. Trained by a mother who made a living as an at-home seamstress - whose dress and suit patterns were handmade from assembled newspaper scraps - Mary personified the early 20th century commitment to always keep going. She was a quintessential member of "The Greatest Generation Ever," steeped in the virtues of hard work. She will be dearly missed. Funeral services will be held in the Rodeo Lane Chapel, 6350 South Rodeo Lane (1545 E.), Murray, UT, on Monday, November 14, 2005, at 11:00 a.m. Friends may call at the church two hours before the services. Interment will follow at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park. Online condolences legacy.com