A Celebration of Luella’s Life will held on Thursday, October 6, 2022, at 5:00 PM, with a Visitation starting at 4:00 PM, at McGilley Antioch Chapel, 3325 NE Vivion Road, Kansas City, MO 64119. A second Celebration of Luella’s Life will be held on Saturday, October 8, 2022, at 1:00 PM, at the Reiss Memorial Chapel where her body will be laid to rest at Lake View Memorial Gardens, 5000 N Illinois Street, Fairview Heights, IL 62208.
Luella was born on February 5, 1927, in Oklahoma City, OK to parents Bertha (Taul) and Ralph Dykstra. She graduated from Choctaw High School with the Class of 1945. Shortly after graduation she travelled to Vallejo, CA, to stay with her older sister, Dorothy. While there she met the love of her life, Vern Ballard, at the First Baptist Church Vallejo, CA. Luella and Vern were married August 15, 1948, and lived life together for 72 years until Vern’s passing in 2021.
Luella knew Vern was called to be a minister of the Gospel of Christ and prepared herself to serve along side him in this work. Lu was “the Pastor’s Wife” in churches in Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Missouri, South Dakota, Montana, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Lord used Lu and Vern to share the Good News of Jesus to people in Taiwan and Indonesia. Lu was also a gifted elementary school teacher. Her formal education included a B.S. from McKendree University in 1967, and a M.A. from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1973, both in elementary education.
Luella’s love for others was best shown as she became “Mamaw” not only for her eight grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren, but also for young adults and families in all the churches and missions in which she served.
Luella is preceded in death by her dear husband, Vern, her parents, sisters Dorothy and Jenell, and brothers Dewey, Charles, and Dick.
She leaves behind son, William “Bill” (Marilyn) Ballard; daughter Jan (Malcolm) English, eight grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, brother Tom, and an extended family who loved Aunt Lu dearly.
