Irene Ball

Irene Annetta Ball, age 96 of New Hampton, IA, died Monday March 15, 2010, at Mercy Medical Center in New Hampton. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 18, 2010, at Holy Family Parish - St. Joseph Center in New Hampton with Rev. Steve Rosonke and Msgr. Carl Schmitt celebrating the Mass. The pall will be placed by Irene’s six children. Ann Bennett will be the organist with Joyce Shatek, cantor, accompanying the Holy Family Resurrection Choir. Jessie Rausch will serve as lector. Presenting the offertory gifts will be Courtney Ball and Nicole Costello. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery, New Hampton with Alan Burgart, John Burgart, Mark Burgart, Mike Messersmith, Dan Messersmith, Chuck Burgart and David Messersmith Jr., serving as pallbearers. Friends may call 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, 2010, at the Hugeback & Chenoweth Funeral Home in New Hampton where there will be a 4:00 p.m. Rosary and a 6:00 p.m. Scripture Service. Visitation will continue one hour prior to Mass on Thursday at the church. Irene Annetta (Munson) Ball was born August 30, 1913, in rural Lawler, Iowa the daughter of Carl and Henrietta (Hereid) Munson. Irene was the second oldest of eleven children. She was raised on the Munson family farm near the five corners, north of Lawler, called Jacksonville. Her elder sister Anna died at the age of eleven, which left Irene as the eldest child. Irene then took on much more responsibility, helping her mother take care of the younger siblings. She attended Jacksonville Country School through 8th grade and graduated from the Lawler High School. She continued her education at Upper Iowa College in Fayette, Iowa obtaining her teaching degree. After receiving her education, Irene moved back home and taught at the Jacksonville Country School, until she was married. On November 26, 1932, Irene was united in marriage to William L. Ball of Lawler. To this union seven children were born, four daughters and three sons. After moving to New Hampton with her husband, Irene worked at the New Hampton Poultry House and A & P Grocery Store. During the early 1950s, she and her husband purchased the Tastee Freeze franchise and operated the ice cream stand in town, until 1963. Soon after she began working for The Hub, a men’s clothing store, until it closed. Irene then retired. Her children have many loving memories of their mother, especially those of coming home from school and having freshly made donuts, bread, cake, or cookies to eat. Irene was a very good cook. She was also a terrific seamstress. She made most of her daughter's clothing while they were going through grade school. After her children were married, Irene had more time on her hands and picked up crocheting. She especially enjoyed crocheting baby blankets for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved to visit, play cards and reading. In her later years her eyesight started to fail her and she was unable to do many of her hobbies. In 1984, her husband of 52 years, Bill, died at the age of 73. Irene remained in her home on North Pleasant Hill until she sold it in 1994. At that time, she moved into the Miller Apartments on Main Street in New Hampton. When Irene turned 90, she moved into the New Hampton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where she resided until her death. Irene is survived by her two sons, Raymond (Joan) Ball of New Hampton and Gary (Terry) Ball of Harrison, TN; four daughters, Marian (Cliff) Burgart, Carol (Reynold) Burgart, Sharon Messersmith, all of New Hampton, and Judy (Darrell) Blake of Cedar Rapids; two brothers, Virgil (Barb) Munson of Cedar Rapids, and Donald (Grace) Munson of Manchester; two sisters, Myrtle Otteson of Clovis, CA, and MaryLou (Clarence) Lail of Virginia; two sister-in-laws, Lola Ptacek of Waterloo, and Joyce Munson of Cedar Rapids; 21 grandchildren; 42 great grandchildren; 10 great-great grandchildren along with numerous nieces and nephews and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son in infancy, William; three brothers, Howard, Russell, and Clair; three sisters, Anna Munson, Helen Maruska and Alice in infancy; two brothers-in-laws, Oscar Otteson and Roger Maruska; one grandson, James Burgart in infancy; one granddaughter, Susan Ball; and a son-in-law David Messersmith.