Obituary Record

Robert Joseph “Bob” Ball
Died on 7/8/2009
Buried in Fort Calhoun Cemetery

#1 Printed in the July 10, 2009 Washington County Enterprise

Robert J. Ball, 83, died Wednesday, July 8, 2009, at his home in Omaha.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 11, at Campbell-Aman Funeral Home in Blair. Interment with military honors will be at the Fort Calhoun Cemetery.

Visitation will begin at noon on Friday with the family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m.

Robert Joseph “Bob” Ball was born Aug. 5, 1925, in Mystic, Iowa, to Carl Stanton and Lena (Whelan) Ball. After graduating at the age of 17 from East High in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1943, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

He served as an aide to Vice Admiral W.H.P. Blandy and fought in “the other D-Day,” the invasion of Saipan. He served aboard the USS General J.H. McRae (AP-149), the USS Fremont (APA-44) and the USS Indianapolis (CA-35).

He was a gifted athlete. As a boxer in the Marines, he won most of his bouts, and played first base and catcher for the Marines baseball team, entertaining troops at Pearl Harbor. After the war, he turned down several offers to play in the minor leagues. Later in his life, he took up golf, winning several Cat-Bird tournaments in the Midwest. He had a 3- handicap and made three holes-in-one during his golfing career.

The majority of his professional life, Mr. Ball worked in the hotel industry, managing hotels in Des Moines, Omaha, and Madison, Wis., for National Properties of Des Moines. He also owned a tavern in Fontanelle, Iowa. He was a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He is survived by his wife, Delores; children, Patrick Miller of Omaha, Steven and Starla Ball of Santa Ana, Calif., Terrie and Algars Deklavs of Blair, Michael and Socorro Ball of Temecula, Calif., Kelli and Paul Mickeliunas of Omaha; 14 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren.

Memorials are suggested to the Methodist Hospice or the American Legion.

#2 OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, July 8, 2009

BALL, ROBERT J., age 83

Omaha. He is survived by his loving wife, Delores, children, Patrick Miller of Omaha, Steven and Starla Ball of Santa Ana, CA, Terrie and Algars Deklavs, of Blair, NE, Michael and Socorro Ball of Temecula, CA, Kelli and Paul Mickeliunas of Omaha; 14 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren.

SERVICES 10:30 AM Saturday, Campbell-Aman Funeral Home in Blair.

INTERMENT with military honors immediately following at Fort Calhoun Cemetery.

VISITATION begins 12 pm Friday with family receiving friends 6-8 pm. Memorials may be directed to Methodist Hospice or the American Legion.

CAMPBELL-AMAN FUNERAL HOME, Blair, NE 402-426-2191

~~~Obituary courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska ~~~

FindaGrave #41058963

Printed in the Washington County Enterprise on 7/10/2009


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