She was born July 22, 1934, on the family farm in Calhoun County Mississippi, the youngest daughter of ten children of Hosea and Annie Walls.
She attended Derma High School, and after a brief time at college, left Mississippi for Memphis, Tennessee where she lived the rest of her life. She married Jim (James W.) Ballard and they had two children, Leigh Ann of La Grange Tennessee, and Mike (James Michael) of Bayfield Colorado.
Betty was artistic and creative, traits which she passed on to both of her children. She loved to garden, growing organic vegetables and many flowers well into old age. She also enjoyed baking and experimenting with recipes, and was known in the family for her special chocolate chip cookies.
She is survived by her daughter, Leigh Ann Ballard, her son, Mike Ballard, her grandson Will Ballard, her brother, Pete (Hugh Franklin) Walls and his wife Ruth of Calhoun City Mississippi, and innumerable nieces and nephews.
