Obituaries

Heaven gained one of their loyal angels, Veldene (“Vel”) Ball passed away on July 9, 2023–surrounded by those closest to her—after a brief but courageous battle with cancer. She is survived by her loving son, Craig Ball (Melissa) and her grandsons whom she could talk about endlessly, Connor and Owen. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband James who also tragically lost his fight with cancer in 2007. Those that interacted with her will remember her beautiful smile and open arms always ready to give out a hug.

Vel was born in Columbus, NE on January 15, 1945, to parents Alden and Mildred (Lopour), the second of their three children. Her siblings Carolyn and Alden Jr. were always constantly on her mind even when she moved 530 miles away to Chicago on her own as a teenager. Prior to her departure to Chicago, one of her favorite memories of her hometown was being named Pancake Day Queen at the 1961 Clarkson Coronation Ball.

Once she arrived in Chicago, she began her career as a typist. Later, while working at Reynolds Metals Corporation, she caught the eye of a young sales representative named James Ball. He quickly moved to court her with all tools at his disposal, including his love of music and, less successfully, an affinity for Corvettes. They fell deeply in love and later married while still living in Chicago. Their next chapter was starting a family, moving with their only son, Craig, out to Saint Charles in 1977 to focus on raising him and making many fond memories. They were able to renew their wedding vows in 2000 after twenty five years. Their marriage remained strong and she transitioned to taking care of James up until his untimely death. They always bonded over a love of music, whether it was James crooning an Elvis tune, her love of polka music, or James writing a love letter which included the lyrics of the John Denver tune “My Sweet Lady”. One of her strongest life purposes was being a mother, often embarrassing her son, frequently calling him a “grand slam” of a son to anyone that had her ear.

Vel was never afraid to take on new challenges in her life. When her family needed her to resume her career, she began working at a cooking store which only furthered her passion for baking and cooking. She treasured every moment—not only the many baking demonstrations with chocolate (one of her favorite treats), but also the friendships she gained along the way. Vel had a knack for making fast friends, and when she later took a position at an eye doctor’s office, she relished in the opportunity to brighten the days of the patients passing through. Yet another passion she had was sewing, working in her spare time to sew a local clothing line named Evangelia, one outfit even being worn by news anchor Carol Marin. She also was well known for her silly side, whether it was shooting baskets even in her later years or teasing her son.

She will always be remembered for her positive nature, great smile and deep faith in the Lord. She fed off the energy of interacting with anyone she encountered.

Services were arranged by Yurs Funeral Home in St. Charles, a memorial service will be held at Fox Valley Presbyterian Church (227 East Side Dr #1544, Geneva, IL 60134) on Friday July 21. There will be a visitation starting at 10 A.M. with the service beginning at 11 A.M.. A luncheon will follow afterwards. Interment will be at Union Cemetery, St. Charles. In lieu of flowers, to honor her and her husband James, please consider a donation in their name to American Cancer Society (https://donate.cancer.org).

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