Ball Family History & Genealogy

'I Love Lucy'' had its premiere on Oct. 15, 1951, and within a few months millions of Americans tuned in every Monday evening to watch the antics of the Ricardos and their best friends, Fred and Ethel Mertz (William Frawley and Vivian Vance). ''I Love Lucy'' was one of the first shows to be filmed rather than performed live, making it possible to have a high-quality print of each episode for rebroadcast, compared with the poor quality of live-show kinescopes. The change eventually led to a shift of television production from New York to Hollywood. The show was the first to be filmed before an audience, and crew members used three cameras at once to permit motion-picture-type editing. The series won more than 200 awards, including five Emmys. Jack Gould of The Times offered this analysis: ''The extraordinary discipline and intuitive understanding of farce gives 'I Love Lucy' its engaging lilt and lift. Only after a firm foundation of credibility has been established is the element of absdurdity introduced. It is in the smooth transition from sense to nonsense that 'I Love Lucy' imparts both a warmth and a reality to the slapstick romp that comes as the climax.'' Miss Ball's superb timing, Mr. Gould wrote, makes her ''the distaff equivalent of Jack Benny,'' her professional idol. A Fortune in Rerun Rights Mr. Arnaz made a fortune for the couple by obtaining rerun rights for the series. He later sold the rights to CBS, allowing the couple's production company, Desilu, to buy a studio, the former RKO lot where Miss Ball's film career had languished and where they had met in 1940 while appearing together in ''Too Many Girls.'' Despite the continuing popularity of ''I Love Lucy,'' the couple sought a less demanding schedule and ended the series in 1957 after making 179 episodes. The format persisted, however, for three more years through a series of hourlong, high-budget, around-the-world specials called ''The Luci-Desi Comedy Hour.'' Their collaboration ended with their divorce in 1960. Mr. Arnaz died in 1986. Two years after their divorce, Miss Ball revived ''Lucy,'' playing a widow in ''The Lucy Show'' for 156 episodes until 1968, then did ''Here's Lucy'' for 144 episodes from 1968 to 1974. In these two series she was joined by her two children, her longtime friend Vivian Vance and Gale Gordon, who succeeded Mr. Arnaz as her masculine foil. In shaping situation comedies, Miss Ball consistently sought superior writers, followed their advice, gave them unstinting credit and paid close attention to production details. In later movies, she co-starred with Bob Hope in two comedies, ''The Facts of Life'' (1961) and ''Critic's Choice'' (1963), and appeared with Henry Fonda in ''Yours, Mine and Ours,'' a 1968 farce about a couple with nearly a score of children. In 1974 she starred in a film version of the stage hit ''Mame.''

Dorothy Alice (Hathaway) Ball was born in 1907 at New York to Edna Shores Osborne. She married Oscar Brentnall. Dorothy's partner was Burt James Ball Jr., and they had children Burt J Ball Iii, Harry J Ball, and George L Ball. Dorothy Ball died at age 59 years old in 1966 at Ashley Falls, Berkshire country, Massachusetts. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Dorothy Hathaway Ball.

Alice Jane (Westfall) Ball was born on February 16, 1900 to William Albert Westfall and Lena Leota (Axtell) Westfall, and has siblings Vernon Westfall, Blanche (Westfall) Beaumont, Lois Ethel Westfall, Agnes Pearl (Westfall) Patterson, and Frank Albert Westfall. She married Harry Ball. She would also marry Harry Ball, and they had children Daryl Keith Ball, Beverly Jeanne (Ball) Schneider, Dorthea Rosalie (Ball) Moen Corrigan, John William Ball, and Cleda Arlene (Ball) Dowell. She married Harry Ball, and they were married until Harry's death. They had children Cleda Arlene (Ball) Dowell, Daryl Keith Ball, Beverly Jeanne (Ball) Schneider, Dorthea Rosalie (Ball) Corrigan, and John William Ball. Alice Ball died at Wichita,KS, and was buried at Beaumont Cemetery in Beaumont, Butler County, Kansas United States.

Burt J Ball Sr was born on November 27, 1876 at Salisbury, Connecticut. He was in a relationship with Rose Lester, and had a child Burt James Ball Jr.. Burt Ball died at age 61 years old on October 6, 1938 at Sheffield, Massachusetts. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Burt J Ball Sr.

Burt James Ball Jr. was born on March 4, 1902 at Salisbury, Connecticut to Burt J Ball Sr and Rose Lester. He was in a relationship with Dorothy Hathaway Ball, and had children Burt J Ball Iii, Harry J Ball, and George L Ball. Burt Ball died at age 46 years old on June 25, 1948 at Sheffield, Massachusetts. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Burt James Ball Jr..

Melodie Starr (Boggs) Ball was born in Henderson, Clark County, Nevada United States. Melodie Ball was in a relationship with Brandon Todd Arduino, and has children Robert Dean Boggs and Brandon Chris Arduino. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Melodie Starr (Boggs) Ball.

Earl Orval Ball of Figg, in Wichita, Sedgwick County, KS was born on August 7, 1929 in Ohio United States to Vanieta Ward. He had siblings Lawrence Ball, William Ball, Harold Ball, Iva Jane, and Leona Ball. He married Martha (Leirer) Ball, and had children Robert E Ball, Anthony Carl Ball, and Barbara Anne Ball. Earl Ball died at age 64 years old on January 31, 1994 in Wichita, KS, and was buried in Newberg, Yamhill County, OR.

Daryl Keith Ball was born on August 12, 1931 in Clinton, Missouri United States, and died in Alma, Crawford County, AR. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Daryl Keith Ball.

Darius Ball was born on December 5, 1793. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Darius Ball.

Alicia J Ball was born on September 25, 1989 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Alicia J Ball.

Jacob ball and catharine ball

Bennie Ball was born in Georgia on July 4, 1932 to parents David Ball (1896-1964) and Mary L Walters (1905-1963). He had 8 siblings including King David Ball and Samson Ball. He married Willie Mae Brown in February of 1964 in Orange, Florida, USA.

Harry didn't have a middle name

Nicholas G Ball was born on May 12, 1870. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Nicholas G Ball.

Jean's father was Angus McDonald and her mother was Ida L. McDonald. In the 1900 federal census, Jean M Mcdonald was age 12 and lived with her family in Ingham MI. Dad Angus was born in Canada and mom Ida was born in NY - Jean was in school. Only Angus, mom Ida, and Jean were in the household. Angus was in furniture? She married Albert Bruce Ball in 1911 and they had Lorna Ball Dunn. Albert was described as a "prominent in business and civic activities" in Mason MI in his 1951 obituary. He was director of the Ball funeral home and proprietor of a furniture business. In the 1940 census, Jean was married to Albert (transcribe as A Bruce Bace) and daughter Larna Jan Bace (sic), 18, was living with them in Mason MI Bruce was a "retail furniture merchant" in the furniture sales and funeral director industry.

Beverly Jeanne (Ball) Schneider of Derby, Sedgwick County, Kansas United States was born on August 28, 1936 in Piedmont, Greenwood County to Alice Jane (Westfall) Ball and Harry Ball. She has siblings Dorthea Rosalie (Ball) Corrigan, John William Ball, Cleda Arlene (Ball) Dowell, and Daryl Keith Ball. Beverly Schneider married Richard Dale Schneider in Augusta, Butler County, KS, and has children Tammara Lynne (Schneider) Barnes and Timothy Dale Schneider.

Edith Dorine (McCartney) Ball was born in 1916 in Eastend, Division No. 4 County, SK Canada, and died at age 84 years old in 2000 in Yakima, Yakima County, Washington United States.

Susan Elaine (Ball) Bond was born to Benjamin R Ball, and has a sibling Gary Ball. She married Amsden Roy Logwood, and they had a child Tiffany Lynne Logwood. She would also marry Walter Wilson Bond. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Susan Elaine Ball.

Alice Jane (Westfall) Ball was born on February 16, 1900 to William Albert Westfall and Lena Leota (Axtell) Westfall. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Alice Jane (Westfall) Ball.

Jacob Ball was born in 1907. Jacob Ball was in a relationship with Catharine Ball. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Jacob Ball.