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John Flannery Ball, Jr., 97, of New Richmond was called to his heavenly home to be in the presence of God on Monday, December 21, 2020 while under the care of his family, with a special thank you to Lakeview Hospice Services for their care of John. He was preceded in death by his wife and the love of his life, Marianne; his parents, John, Sr. and Anna (Williams) Ball; his sisters, Mary, Joanna, Elaine and Helen; and his brother, Patrick. He is survived by his sister, Agnes.
On September 15, 1951 John married Marianne Maitrejean while he was in the military. They lived and raised a family in New Richmond, WI, building a marriage of love for each other and their Catholic faith as a foundation that was an inspiration to many. Theirs was a union that lasted for 59 years until Marianne passed away in 2011. From their marriage there were five children and fourteen grandchildren. They include John (Bev), New Richmond, and their children Jessie (Matt) Dunlap, New Richmond; Lindsay (Joe) Green, Deer Park; Jim (Laurie), Savage, MN and their children Tyler (Mary), Chas and Ellen (Justin) Applegate; Tom (Mary), Merrill, and their children Michael, Eric, Aidan, Kathryn and Brian; Colleen (Robin) Haffner, New Richmond, and their children Richard (Ashley) Haffner; Jonathan (Lacey) Haffner and Annamari (Aaron) Kemling; and Mark, Somerset and his son, Jacob and fiancé, Allie. He is also survived by fifteen great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and many, many friends.
John was born June 7, 1923 and grew up on a dairy farm in New Richmond. He was of the generation that attended one-room schools like Oak Hill School for Grades K-4. He attended St. Mary’s School for Grades 5 & 6 and Spring Book School for Grades 7 & 8. He attended New Richmond High School for Grades 9-12. He was a graduate of the Class of 1940 and attended high school class reunions until recently. John also attended summer classes in a pre-veterinary program at UW-Madison upon high school graduation.
John was proud of his service to his country. He was inducted into the Army at age 25 in 1948. He received his basic training with the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Breckenridge in Kentucky. He graduated from Medical Services School and was stationed in Yokohama, Japan, where he spent a year during the reconstruction. Upon his return to the United States, he was placed on separation, leaving active duty, but still on active reserve. Two months later he was called back to active duty and sent to Camp McCoy in Wisconsin to assist with the opening of the hospital and medical supply unit. Their first child, John, was born while he was stationed there at that time. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1952.
Early in his working career, John worked on his father’s farm, at Friday Canning Corporation and at DoBoy Feed Mill. From 1945-47, he tested cattle and was the manager of the St. Croix County Dairy Herd at age 24. In 1952, following his honorable discharge from the Army, he moved his young family to Norwalk, California and worked as a milkman. In 1956 he returned to his hometown of New Richmond where he worked as a milkman for Sanitary Dairy. Through the years, he was an auto parts salesman for Johnson Motors and M & L Motor Supply. He was also the service manager for Bernard’s Northtown until a back injury ended his working career.
Throughout his lifetime, John was an active member of the New Richmond Community. He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, New Richmond, and a proud 78-year member of the Knights of Columbus. He served as Grand Knight, District Deputy and Financial Secretary. He was a Charter Member of the Norwalk, California Chapter and of the New Richmond Chapter. John was also a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus and was instrumental in implementing the program in New Richmond.
John was the epitome of a “good and faithful” servant who lived his Catholic faith by selflessly helping anybody he could who needed help. He instilled in his children a strong work ethic and taught that ‘common sense’ was important in this world, albeit oftentimes lacking. Our greatest gift to our father is to embody those values as much as he did and to love our own families as much as he loved his. He was a true Irishman who was proud of his Irish heritage. He was honored to be selected as the Grand Marshal of the New Richmond St. Patrick’s Day parade twice. He had a love of laughter, jokes and the ability to make a stranger feel like a friend by the time his visit with them was over. He loved watching the Packers and Badgers and was always willing to ‘take or make’ a fun bet on a game with his children and grandchildren. Family, friends and even strangers were always welcome at John and Marianne’s home and those people left knowing they had experienced a ‘wee bit of Heaven’ on earth. He was a friend to everyone and truly lived his life believing that a ‘stranger was a friend we haven’t met yet’. He carried Lifesavers mints in his pocket to share with those he met.
John loved to read and while Westerns were an especial favorite, he had an insatiable interest in the world around him and often knew more about somebody’s home town than they did! Long before the world could ‘Google’ to seek an answer to a question, John had a set of Britannica encyclopedias that he kept handy for reference. He enjoyed watching Wheel of Fortune and American Pickers. The latter as he was an avid antique collector and appreciated the beauty and quality of things of the past.
John will be missed by his family and all who knew him. However, we are comforted knowing that his good work here on earth is finished. We carry on with the love he not only instilled in us, but also lived as an example for all with his wife and our beloved mother, Marianne. He can now live in peace and love forever with her in the presence of Jesus, His Blessed Mother – to whom they both had a strong devotion to – and the family members and friends who preceded him. In the writing of Matthew 25:23, “Well done good and faithful servant,” our dad truly was. For all those reasons and so much more, he will forever be our hero, as well.
Mass of Christian Burial 11 a.m. Monday, December 28, 2020 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in New Richmond. Visitation 1.5 hours prior to Mass at the church. Interment will be at the parish cemetery with full military honors. The family asks that attendees follow CDC guidelines and to please social distance and wear masks. We want everyone to be safe. The family will be holding a celebration of John’s life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice in John’s memory..
To watch the funeral live stream please go to one of the following links 15 minutes before service is to start.
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaYe4RRPNX20r-fEklQy4aw