Jessie Lee Ballard

Jessie Lee Ballard, a resident of Napier Field, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 24, 2017 at her residence. She was 88.

Funeral services will be held at 3pm Sunday, March 26, 2017 at Sunset Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Ray Kelly officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park with Robert Byrd directing. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 1pm until 3pm Sunday. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Midland City Senior Center.

Mrs. Ballard was born on October 19, 1928 in Hartford and lived there the early years of her life. She moved to Napier Field in 1947 and was employed with Wallace Community College in the library for over 20 years until her retirement in 1992. Mrs. Ballard enjoyed getting to know and helping the students. She loved to fish, to volunteer at the Midland City Senior Center, and going with her friends on Saturday night to the Klondike Music Center. Mrs. Ballard had a servant’s heart and a love for all people. She was a charter member of Napier Field United Methodist Church where she was the oldest and longest living member.

Mrs. Ballard was preceded in death by her parents, Charlie and Sallie Anderson, and by her husband of 62 years, D. E. “Gene” Ballard and her granddaughter, Jamie Ruppel, and by her sisters, Awamaru (Earl) Henry and Dee (Charles) Stewart.

Survivors include her sons, Greg Ballard and his wife Traci, Napier Field, Robert “Bob” Ballard and his wife Darlene, Dalton, GA; her daughters, Diane Gilliland and her husband Wayne, Montgomery, AL, Beverly Tanner and her husband Kylan, Houston, TX, and Brenda Snell and her husband Greg, Napier Field, AL; her 18 grandchildren, Gena (Matt) Jacobs, Jamie (Wayne) Wilkey, Jay (Courtney) Gilliland, Jonathan (Charlotte) Ballard, Jennifer (Ryan) Geri, Joanna Ruppel, Zack (Gae) Tanner, Jordan Tanner, Melia (Jon) Williams, Seleya Tanner, Tyler Snell, Anna (Josh) Phillips, Justin (and his fiancé, Laura Pry) Snell, Zach Williams, Austin, Teagan, and Keslie Wilkey; her great-grandchildren, Anderson Jacobs, Noah Gilliland, Christina and Clay Geri, Zarek and Joren Tanner, Sawyer Phillips, and Joey Williams; her brother-in-law, Jerry Ballard and his wife Sue, Slocomb, AL; several nieces and nephews; and by her loving companion, Millie.

Special thanks to Covenant Hospice, Alisa Smith and Pam Marchman, and to her loving neighbor, Sarah Peterson.