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Historical records matching Irving Ball
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About Irving Ball
Text of obituary in Great Falls Tribune, July 16, 2006:
Irving R "K7MEA" Ball
Libby - Irving R K7MEA Ball, 90, a resident of the Kootenai Valley for the past 44 years, died of natural causes Tuesday at a care center in Libby.
Surviving him are his children, Lewis (Fran) Ball of Missoula; Rayna (Otto) Larsen of Columbia Falls; Daryl Ball and fianceé Susie Fowler of Helendale, California; and Keith (Laurie) Ball of Hauser, Idaho; seven grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild; as well as a host of "adopted" children and grandchildren.
Irving was born on the Beck ranch near Garrison, MT on June 18, 1916, to Sterling and Marie Ball, and spent his early childhood on the family homestead at Avon. He later resided with his family is Washington, Oregon and California before returning to Montana. In 1929, they settled in the Mission Valley at St Ignatius, where he attended school, graduating from St Ignatius High School in 1935. He attended Intermountain Union Polytechnic in Billings (now Rocky Mountain College), where he recieved training in machinery and welding.
While attending school in Billings, he met Myrna Lewis; they were married Sept 25, 1938, at her home in Fort Benton.
Irving returned to the Mission Valley, where he and his father operated the family ranch; Irving also operated an electric shop in St Ignatius as well as an excavating service. He had been a pilot in the early days of civilian aviation, making one of the first airstrips in the valley in a field on the family ranch. He also served as a fireman on the community volunteer fire department as well as being involved in numerous other community affairs. A longtime employee of the J Neils Lumber Co. and the St Regis Paper Co., Irving served as a millwright/electrician for many years until his retirement in 1977.
After moving to Libby in 1962, he remained active in community affairs; he and his late wife Myrna were instrumental in establishing the Libby Dam Good Sam Club and assisting in all the club's activities. As a longtime amateur "Ham" radio operator, he helped organize the ham radio operators of the area in the development of an organization to assist in emergency and disaster relief. Following his retirement, he and Myrna enjoyed traveling throughout the United States in the motor home and time spent on their sailboat, as well as spending time with their grandchildren and numerous adopted grandchildren at their home on Flathead Lake.
He had been a member of the United Methodist Church; the Lumber and Sawmill Workers local 2581, and also a 50-year member and past-master of the Mission Valley Lodge No. 78.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Myrna, in 1995; and his sister, Beryl Seljak, in 2005.
Memorials may be made to Libby Volunteer Ambulance, PO Box 777, Libby, MT 59923; or to a charity of the givers choice. Condolences may be sent to greatfallstribune.com/obituaries.
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Irving Ball's Timeline
| 1916 |
June 18, 1916
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Garrison, Powell, Montana, United States
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| 1939 |
August 1, 1939
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Saint Ignatius, Lake County, Montana, United States
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| 1941 |
March 15, 1941
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Saint Ignatius, Lake, Montana, United States
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| 1995 |
November 6, 1995
Age 77
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Libby, Lincoln, Montana, United States
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