Betty J Ballard, age 89, of Rockford, Illinois passed away on Monday, January 23, 2023. Betty was born on August 17, 1933 in Soldiers Grove to Pearl and Eliza Copus in the heart of the great depression. At the age of 16, Betty quit school and moved to Rockford to begin working. Ultimately she retired from National Lock as a quality inspector after over 30 years of employment. Soon after retirement Betty went back to work at PA Peterson Nursing Home, serving as a housekeeper to keep herself busy for another 10 years. The last retirement years of her life were spent loving all of her 9 cats, Midnight, Brandy, Precious, Patches, Whiskers, Angel, Mokey, Sammite, and Fredia.
Betty is survived by her children, Cathy Ballard, Greg (Wendy) Ballard, and Bryant Ballard; grandchildren, Adelaide (Alex Hansen) Packard, Carolyn Packard, Joshua (Erika) Hilden, Andrea (Dan) Simonetti, Daniel (Jenny) Ballard, and Kristin Ballard; five great grandchildren; siblings, Darlene Christensen, and Katherine Schroeder. She was preceded in death by her parents, Pearl and Eliza Copus; husband, Loren Ballard; son, Donald J. Ballard; siblings, Lester Copus, Velma Dull, Clinton Copus, Gordon Copus, Sylvester Copus, and Jean Thompson.
A Memorial Service for Betty will be held at a later date in the Spring/ Summer. In Lieu of Flowers donations can be made to Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary in Rockford, IL.
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