Born Jeanette Marie Guilloud on October 13, 1918, the first child of Henry and Sallie Forisha Guilloud, she was raised on the family farm north of Pottsboro, Texas. After graduating from Denison High School in 1936, she attended the Byrne Business School in Dallas. Her first job was at the then-new Kraft Foods Co. in Denison.
Jeanette married Otis Ball on June 14, 1941, and subsequently had three sons. She loved being a stay-at-home mother. This happy career ended when Otis collapsed and died on his mail route on an unusually hot day on July 28, 1955, when her children were 3, 9, and 11 years old. Shortly thereafter she went to work at Perrin Air Force Base in Sherman. When it closed in 1971, she transferred to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City, where she worked as a specifications librarian. Upon retiring she returned to Denison, where she served as a hospital volunteer with the Pink Ladies for many years.
She always adored her family, and she worked tirelessly and without complaint to provide for her three boys. With her strong encouragement her three sons all attended college and earned graduate degrees. She was a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church. She especially valued her pastor and friends there, and particularly enjoyed the Westminster Sunday School class taught by Horace Groff and Tony Maddox.
Jeanette is survived by two sons, Dr. Terence (Terry) Ball (Judith), of Phoenix, AZ, and Donald Ball, of Bryan, TX, brothers Rudolph, of Pittsburgh, and Norman (Denise), of Princeton, NJ, grandsons Jonathan (Paige), Stephen (Christina), and Matthew Ball (Whitney), and great-grandchildren Andrew, Alexandra, Eliana and Landon Ball. She was preceded in death by her husband Otis in 1955, her father in 1966, her mother in 1981, son David in 1996, and brother Lynn in 2013.
She was a great listener, rarely had an unkind word or thought, and had a keen sense of humor. She maintained a bright and happy outlook through the hardships she endured. Her failing health in the last two years was particularly trying, but she endured everything with a smile.
Visitation will be on Thursday June 14 at Bratcher Funeral Home from 5:30-7:30. Her funeral service will be at the First Presbyterian Church on Friday, June 15 at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at Cedarlawn Memorial Park.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 213 N. Burnett Ave., Denison, TX 75020.
