Rosie "Wendy" Bell Ballard

Rosa Bell Ballard, or Wendy to her family and friends, was born on July 26th, 1955 in Tahlequah, OK, the daughter of John Edward and Lula Catherine (Jones) Ballard. She grew up in a family with eight brothers and sisters, Laraina, Johnny, Anna, Miller, Barbara, Debbie, Alva and Christopher, and attended and graduated from Tahlequah High School. She married and became the proud mother of her daughter, Crystal. Wendy was a woman of many talents, she loved the great outdoors and liked a day spent fishing, camping and relaxing with her family. She was always in her garden, raising beautiful vegetables and flowers, sharing the produce with her family and friends. She had a loving heart and a forgiving soul, and went the extra mile to please those around her. She was the happiest woman on earth just spending time with her granddaughters, Heaven and Gerrika. She made them special things to eat, everyone got their own pie for their birthday, and her weekend breakfasts were extra special. She had a wonderful sense of humor and she used it keeping her family amused. Any reunion or holiday and Wendy was ready with a smile and some teasing. Life was not always easy for Wendy, it came with many adversities, especially chronic back pain. It limited the physical things Wendy could accomplish, but never held her spirit down. That was upheld by God. She attended church at Cornerstone when she was able, and when the pain held her down, she faithfully watched prayer and praise programs on TV, such as John Olsteen. She went out for drives to Lake Tenkiller and always took the time to thank God for all he had done for her and for being with her every day of her journey. The Lord called this good and faithful servant home from her labors on Wednesday, October 11th, 2017 in Tahlequah, OK surrounded by her loving family. She was 62years old. She will be greatly missed.

Wendy is preceded in death by her mother, father, her grandparents, Benjamin Harrison and wife Margaret (Johnson) Jones and Miller Ray and Dolly (Carroll) Ballard, three brothers, Johnny Harrison Ballard, Miller Ray Ballard and Christopher Edward Jones, and her sister, Laraina Dean Eden.

Those left to cherish her memory include her loving daughter, Crystal Harris of Muskogee, OK, and her brothers and sisters, Anna Claudine James of Tahlequah, OK, Barbara Ziyada of Ft. Collins, CO, Debbie Davis of Tahlequah, OK, and Alva Edward Ballard also of Tahlequah. She lives on in her two adored granddauhters, Heaven Taylawr Wittney Green and Gerrika Lynn Hughes both of Muskogee, OK. Wendy leaves her beloved canine companions, Honey, Mojo and Holly, and her many loved nieces, nephews, and many cousins and friends.