Palestine High School Alumni Association

08 / 24 / 1918  –  04 / 08 / 2004

Services for Mary Cecilia (Long) Ballard, 85, of Palestine will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Palestine Middle Cemetery with Rev. Jay Abernathy officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Bailey & Foster.

Mrs. Ballard died Thursday morning at MYA Health Care Center in Palestine, and went home to rest in Jesus loving arms.

She was born August 24, 1918 in Palestine to Julian Elbert and Lelia (Wray) Long. She graduated from Palestine High School in 1936 and later attended Nixon Business College. She worked for 33 years with the Missouri Pacific Railroad in Palestine in the freight claims department, until her retirement in August 1978. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Palestine from 1930 to 1980.

Mrs. Ballard was preceded in death by her husband, Hal Ballard; mother, Lelia Jency Long; father, Julian Long; sister, Margaret Geneva Long; two brothers, Pascal E. Long and Charles E. Long; granddaughter, Deirdre Adele Ashley, daughter of Vernon and Benjy Ashley.

She is survived by her son, Vernon E. Ashley and wife Benjy of Clear Lake City, Texas; numerous nieces and nephews; and very special friends, Barbara and Bill McKinney of Elkhart.

Condolence calls will be received from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Source: Palestine Herald-Press 04-09-2004