Ralph ‘Merl’ Ball
May 28, 1916 - Sept. 1, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008 11:59 AM PDT
Ralph ‘Merl’ Ball
May 28, 1916 - Sept. 1, 2008
Weiser
Merl Ball, 92, passed away Sept. 1, 2008, in the Weiser Care Center. Graveside services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, 2008, at Hillcrest Cemetery, Weiser. Services are under the direction of the Thomason Funeral Home.
Ralph Merl Ball was born May 28, 1916, in Weiser, the second child of Maurice and Agnes Ball. They lived on a 40-acre farm located west of State Street and south of the Galloway Ditch. Merl spent most of his youth in the Council Valley.
Merl married Vangy Welden Sept. 21, 1935. Together they raised four children.
As a boy, Merl’s favorite pastime was dismantling and repairing old wagons, sleds and machinery. By the time he was a teenager, he knew more about the mechanics of cars than most men. His mechanical abilities led him to work at the Placer Basin and Bohemia Gold Mines keeping the diesels running. He worked at numerous construction sites maintaining equipment. Merl became known and highly respected as one of the best diesel mechanics in the Northwest.
Merl entered the Navy during World War II. He spent 19 months in the service and advanced to the rate of first class motor machinist mate.
When several construction companies joined to establish a construction trade school located on the grounds of the old Intermountain Institute, they chose Merl to be their Instructor of Diesel Mechanics. Merl remained at the school until a stroke forced his early retirement.
Merl continued to barter, trade, and deal for cars and the like, and was often sought out for his expert mechanical knowledge. All cars had to pass the “grandpa test” before they could be purchased.
Family was very important to Merl. In his later years, his family photo albums became a very special part of his life. Each picture was labeled with “a little history” so that visitors would know his family. To all of you who sat with Merl and enjoyed his photo albums, thanks for spending your time with our dad and grandpa.
Merl’s high regard for his fellow man merited him many true friends. His ability to make profitable decisions and his steady ambition to carry them through resulted in a comfortable living. His steadfast belief in honesty and his love for the natural wonders of the outdoors - the sports of hunting, fishing, camping — and the close fellowship of his family made him a good father and husband. Probably the most fortunate decision of his lifetime was marrying Vangy, who was his tower of strength, his constant companion and his most faithful friend. With Vangy’s passing, Merl’s work was completed, and they are once again together.
Merl is survived by his children, Carol (Stu) Nesbitt, Sequim, Wash., Dallas (Kay) Ball and Bonnie (Jim) Johnston, Weiser, Dave (Esther) Ball, Fruitland; sisters, Aleta Thompson, Beulah Gilman, Erchel Haynes, Vivian McKnight, all of Weiser; sisters-in-law, Ann Syme, Weiser, and Alberta Donaldson, Sweet Home; 10 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren; several great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Vangy; four brothers, Cecil, Cels, Maurice, and Edgar Ball; a sister, Essie Shaw; and grandson, Mike Lewis.
