From Proud Heritage, Volume III by DCPA. This 352 page hardcover book is available online.
Henry Washington Ball was born in Talladega, Alabama in 1840, the son of Reuben Ball whose relatives included Mary Ball, mother of George Washington. Reuben married Mourning “Morning” (Carter) Ball in Georgia in 1832. They moved to Alabama in 1838. The 1850 census shows Reuben and Morning with ten children, Henry being the fifth.
Henry married Frances “Frankey” Adams, daughter of Elias and Elizabeth (Harris) Adams. Their children included Daniel Wilburn (born 1862); Morgan Abner (born 1865); Manila Frances (born 1868); Elias Jefferson (born 1870); Reuben Edward (born 1872); Robert Rudolph (born 1874), and twin deceased at birth; Thomas Wiley (born 1877); Joshua Clements (born 1880); Laura Rachel (born 1882) died as infant.
Henry was mustered on 29 March 1862, into Col. Daniel R. Handley’s 31st Alabama Infantry Regiment, CSA. He was captured and sent to Rock Island, Illinois. A Union medical officer (also named Ball) attempted to enlist Henry in the Union army, but he remained true to his belief in “states rights” and his fellow Confederates. He was discharged from General Hospital No. 9, Richmond, Virginia, 13 April 1865 and returned home to Alabama.
Henry and Frankey started to Texas with their five children about 1874. They stayed with relatives in Arkansas on the way, arriving in Forney, Kaufman County, Texas, circa 1878. Frankey died on 12 September 1894 and is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery at Forney.
Henry married (2) Mary Jane Howard. They ran a general store and boarding house in Forney. Henry was self-educated. He taught music, was a deacon in the First Baptist Church, an alderman and city secretary in Forney. Their daughter, Helen Ophilia, married Julius Kaiser. Henry died in 1927 and is buried at Forney.
In 1893, Reuben Edward “Ed” Ball (1872-1942) married Exona Wright (1877-1980) in Forney. She lived to age 103. They are buried in Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas. Their children included Brice Edward; James Cecil (1903-1975); Henry Kenneth (1905-1990). Four other children died young.
Brice Edward Ball (1895-1967) was married on 30 April1919 to Ruth Priscilla Hatter (1898-1983). Both are buried in Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas. (See Proud Heritage, Vol. I, p. 239.) Brice served in the U. S. Navy in World War I. He spent 50 years with Western Union, advancing from messenger boy at age 12 to City Maintainer.
Their daughter, Dorothy Estelle Ball, was born 29 June 1920, in Dallas. She married Marlin Harper Miller on 24 February 1940. Marlin is the son of Harry Lloyd Miller and Grace Harper Miller. Marlin served in the U. S. Field Artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was a minister-teacher-counselor. Dorothy is a supervisor-teacher-paralegal.
Dorothy and Marlin became the parents of Marlin Ronald Miller on 14 July 1941 in Pennsylvania. He married (1) Margaret Josephine Butler in Dallas on 27 August 1961. She was the daughter of Arvil J. and Margaret (Cowan) Butler, born 21 April 1941. Marlin married (2) in Taiwan on 9 February 1976, Yui Mei Chen (born 21 February 1945), daughter of Sung Chen. Ronald was a decorated U. S. Air Force pilot and is a commercial airlines pilot.
Dorothy and Marlin’s second child, Nancy Ellen Miller, was born 29 September 1943 in Missouri. She married in Dallas 29 December 1966 to Terry Bob Fontenot (born 14 January 1944, son of Osmin and Blanche Fontenot of Mamoo, Louisiana). Nancy is a licensed clinical social worker.
A third child, Janice Elizabeth Miller, died in childbirth 27 August 1957.
The grandchildren of Marlin and Dorothy are:
- Michael Scott Miller, born 29 September 1963 at College Station, Texas, married 21 June 1986, Aletia Marrs.
- Stephen Craig Miller born 19 September 1968 at Duluth, Minnesota, married 20 February 1970 to Michell Heit.
- Mark Andrew Miller (adopted) born 20 November 1971 in Taiwan, U.S. naturalized 1984.
- Elizabeth Ann Miller born 29 November 1977 at Irving, Texas.
- (Great-grandson) Stephen Craig Miller, Jr. was born 25 June 1990, Dallas, Texas.
Brice and Ruth Ball’s second child, David Carter Ball, was born 25 September 1926. He married Clara Bess “Claire” Lorenz (born 20 January 1927) on 10 April 1952. She was the daughter of Rudolph and Mabel (McCammon) Lorenz. Their first son, David Devan Ball, born 27 September 1954 in Dallas, married Eileen Williamson (born 1 November 1956) on 8 October 1979. She is the daughter of George and Mary Williamson of New Jersey. David and Claire’s second son, Phillip Kent Ball, was born 30 August 1956 in Dallas. David Carter Ball died 16 October 1981 in New York City.
By Dorothy E. Ball Miller and Jeffie Ball Jenson, Dallas, Texas
