Photo photo
Finis Newton Ball, May 23, 1871-Mar. 28 1956
Dollie Jane (Tucker) Ball, Jun. 27, 1875-May 23, 1964
Ball Notes

The Ball Family of Eagle Rock, Missouri



Finas Newton and Dollie Jane Tucker Ball

Submitted by G-Grandaughter, Darla Ball Marbut

Finas Newton Ball was the son of William Valentine and Sarah Elizabeth Garrett Ball. He was born in Jasper Co., Mo May 23, 1871. His wife, Dollie Jane (Tucker) Ball was born June 27, 1875 the daughter of Francis and Emma A. Thornton Tucker. Finas Ball's father, William Valentine Ball died April 28, 1875 and Finas was only four years old at that time. Sarah, Finas' Mother was left with four small sons to raise. Their first few years must have been very difficult. The first winter was especially bad. The older sons James Elbert Allen Ball and John Ben Ball tried to help out all they could. They had no shoes and during times it snowed that winter, they wrapped rags around their feet to go out and fed the live stock.

The first year after their father died, their mother had a patch of rye. Her sheep ran on the rye in the winter. In the spring she shut them off of it. When the rye was ripe, Sarah, Albert, and John put the rye on a sheet and used a frail to beat the grain out. When the grain was beat out of the rye, they would pour it from one tub to the other when the wind was right to clean it. The grain fell in the tub and the chaff was blown away. Sarah had the rye taken to the mill and made into flour. Sarah traded a feather bed to some people going west for a little yellow cow. Albert and John said it was the first Jersey cow they had ever seen. Their meals that winter were mostly milk and rye bread. Finas said he could remember when she got the cow.

On October 30, 1878, Finas' mother, Sarah Elizabeth (Garrett) Ball married George Reed. Finas was 7 years old and George Reed was the only father he ever remembered. Now he not only had his brothers Elbert Ball b. 1863, John Ben Ball b. 1868 and Silas Ball b. 1874 but step-brothers and sisters as George Reed had children by his first wife, Narcissus West, who had died. The Reed children were, James Wesley Reed b. 1866, Ellis Reed b. 1868, John H. b 1869, William Alfred Reed b. 1870, Sarah Caroline b. 1873 and Amos Reed b. 1877. Then George and Sarah Reed had three daughters, Mary Frances b 1880, Rachel b. 1882 And Martha b 1886. Going from a family with five members to a family with twelve members must have been quite an adjustment. It must have taken a lot of work to feed a family that large but there were several sons to help with the farming.

The next we know of Finas he had joined the Roaring River Baptist Church at Eagle Rock, Mo., when he was 16. Religion was very important to him the rest of his life. He held several positions in the church and Sunday School.

Finas married Dollie Jane Tucker, November 7, 1892 at Eagle Rock, Barry Co., Mo. Dollie Jane loved to dance. Her best friend was Mary Curry. They built their playhouses together and spent many pleasant hours with each other. Mary's family, the Curry's lived on the next farm from the Tuckers. When Dollie Jane was about ten years old, she planted a Hedge Apple Tree near her parents house. The Hedge Apple Tree was sometimes called Osage Apples. The old timers used the fruit of the Hedge Apple Tree to put under the house as they thought it kept insects out from under the house. Hedge Apple Trees made good durable fence posts as well. Her tree is still standing over 100 years later.

Finas and Dollies' daughter Frances (Ball) Cooper told the following. "In the early years of Finas and Dollie's marriage they owned a 40 acre farm and a log house. They raised cattle, horses, hogs, and sheep. After starting his family, Finas realized the need of more money so he sought other ways of making more money. He began working with Dr. Thomas, a veterinarian, learning the work. Although he didn't have enough education to become a veterinarian, he knew the work well and helped his neighbors when they needed helps and couldn't get a veterinarian. He also worked as a carpenter's helper until he learned the work, then he began on his own. He helped build the stone store building at Eagle Rock, where the Post Office was for nearly 50 years. Richard Whittington was the owner of the building and the Post Master. Finas Ball and J.C. Bradford were masters of stone building around Eagle Rock.

Years later, Finas traded his 40 acre farm for a larger farm two miles North of Eagle Rock known as the Nut Burris farm where he spent the remaining years of his life."

As the family prospered and grew, a larger house was built in Section 5, Township 21N, Range 26W. The two-story house had two doors that opened from two different rooms onto the front porch. The room on the left was the living room and the room on the right was a bedroom. Back of the living room was the kitchen and back of the bedroom was a screened in porch, used for a dining room in the summer. Upstairs were two bedrooms. There was a wooden fence around the yard and a springhouse out in front. In the springhouse, Dollie kept her food cool. There was a barn, shop combination, chicken houses, etc out the back and to the side of the house. Between the house and the main road was a large pond.

In later years, they moved to the "Wean'n House" a little flag stoned cabin on their place. It had been built in 1917. As their children got married they lived in the Wean'n House until their could afford a place of their own. One of their sons, bought the two-storied house just over the hill. The Wean's House still stands and is a gift shop.

Even though Dollie was a gentle, kind lady, two things would up set her. She did not like for her children to leave and go to California. She had one son who died in California and another we lived there the largest part of his life. She also hated snakes especially the ones that would swallow her chicken eggs. It was told that she would reach in the hen's nest, grab the snake by the tail and whip it until it was dead. In a way a snaked caused her death. She was taking a walk when she was almost 89 years old and she saw a snake. She tried to kill it with her walking cane, fell and broke her hip. In the surgery to repair the hip, she died on May 23, 1964. Finas Newton Ball died March 28, 1956. Both are buried in the Munsey Cemetery not too far from both their parents and grandparents.

Finas Newton and Dollie Jane (Tucker) Ball's children:

1. Infant, born 1893 and buried at Munsey

2. Truman "Eldon" Ball, born mar 17, 1895 m. Eva Prier

3. Charles Elmon Ball, b. May 26, 1896 m Ora Prier

4. Edward Ball, b Oct 31, 1897 m. 1st Dora Buchannan, 2d Lorena Margaret Carter

5. Ethel Oman Ball, b Apr 12, 1900 m. Edith Pansy Carter

6. Edna Sara Ball, b June 4, 1901 d. Apr 6, 1902

7. Maye Louisia Ball, b May 4, 1904 d Feb 1, 1921

8. Frances Elizabeth Ball b Dec 31, 1905 m. William "Elmer" Cooper

9. Norman Finas Ball, b June 7, 1907 m. Maudie Mae Bradford

10. Alvis George Ball, b Jan 10, 1909 m. Bertie Cora Skelton

11. Martha Rebecca Ball, b Jan 3, 1911 d Dec 29, 1915

12. Elva Lourane Ball, b Mar 19, 1913 d Oct 12, 1920
Date Taken Photo is not dated
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