Myrtle was born in Juniata, Nebraska, near Hastings. Her father, William Richard Ball, had emigrated from England to the United States when he was a young man and married Lillie A. Hancock in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1890.
Myrtle's father contracted tuberculosis and died when she was nine years old. Her mother remarried and Myrtle and her brother, Vernon, who was five years younger, went with her to live in Milford, Nebraska. When Myrtle was in her early teens her mother and step-father were divorced. He bought them a house in Lincoln, Nebraska, near the University's School of Agriculture so that Lillie could operate a boarding house for students. Myrtle attended "Ag" school and took Home Economics as well as academic studies. Her future husband, Arthur, was living at a nearby boarding house, and they met at the Methodist Church. The first time he saw her there he asked to walk her home, and she told him that she wouldn't walk home with someone who hadn't brought her. The next week he asked her to go with him ahead of time! They were married a couple of years later when Myrtle was eighteen.
After farming in Atlanta and Scottsbluff, and having three children, they moved to Monrovia, California, where Myrtle's mother was living. They both attended Bible College. Although that was long before the Feminist Movement, Myrtle became an ordained minister and co-pastored churches with her husband. While still in California a fourth child, a girl, was born.
Myrtle was a person who loved both people and animals, and was always taking both under her wing. When she was a little girl she was once reprimanded for playing with the "kitties" in the barn, which were actually baby skunks!
Myrtle was intuitive, creative and talented. She could sing, play the piano and violin, paint and draw, write poetry, and enjoyed public speaking. She was an enthusiastic community leader, and helped start Women's Clubs and 4-H Clubs in the Ozark countryside where they mainly lived from the mid 1930's until 1960.
Her retirement years were spent in Moline, Illinois. At age 73 she began babysitting six-month old Scotty, her youngest daughter's son, while his mother worked. Over the years she continued to help baby-sit Scott and his brother, Chad.
When she broke her hip and could no longer be out and about, people of all ages came to visit her; not to cheer her up, but because she cheered them up! She was a woman admired by many.
Bio courtesy of Elaine (Fitch) Vinzant.
Myrtle's father contracted tuberculosis and died when she was nine years old. Her mother remarried and Myrtle and her brother, Vernon, who was five years younger, went with her to live in Milford, Nebraska. When Myrtle was in her early teens her mother and step-father were divorced. He bought them a house in Lincoln, Nebraska, near the University's School of Agriculture so that Lillie could operate a boarding house for students. Myrtle attended "Ag" school and took Home Economics as well as academic studies. Her future husband, Arthur, was living at a nearby boarding house, and they met at the Methodist Church. The first time he saw her there he asked to walk her home, and she told him that she wouldn't walk home with someone who hadn't brought her. The next week he asked her to go with him ahead of time! They were married a couple of years later when Myrtle was eighteen.
After farming in Atlanta and Scottsbluff, and having three children, they moved to Monrovia, California, where Myrtle's mother was living. They both attended Bible College. Although that was long before the Feminist Movement, Myrtle became an ordained minister and co-pastored churches with her husband. While still in California a fourth child, a girl, was born.
Myrtle was a person who loved both people and animals, and was always taking both under her wing. When she was a little girl she was once reprimanded for playing with the "kitties" in the barn, which were actually baby skunks!
Myrtle was intuitive, creative and talented. She could sing, play the piano and violin, paint and draw, write poetry, and enjoyed public speaking. She was an enthusiastic community leader, and helped start Women's Clubs and 4-H Clubs in the Ozark countryside where they mainly lived from the mid 1930's until 1960.
Her retirement years were spent in Moline, Illinois. At age 73 she began babysitting six-month old Scotty, her youngest daughter's son, while his mother worked. Over the years she continued to help baby-sit Scott and his brother, Chad.
When she broke her hip and could no longer be out and about, people of all ages came to visit her; not to cheer her up, but because she cheered them up! She was a woman admired by many.
Bio courtesy of Elaine (Fitch) Vinzant.
Myrtle was born in Juniata, Nebraska, near Hastings. Her father, William Richard Ball, had emigrated from England to the United States when he was a young man and married Lillie A. Hancock in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1890.
Myrtle's father contracted tuberculosis and died when she was nine years old. Her mother remarried and Myrtle and her brother, Vernon, who was five years younger, went with her to live in Milford, Nebraska. When Myrtle was in her early teens her mother and step-father were divorced. He bought them a house in Lincoln, Nebraska, near the University's School of Agriculture so that Lillie could operate a boarding house for students. Myrtle attended "Ag" school and took Home Economics as well as academic studies. Her future husband, Arthur, was living at a nearby boarding house, and they met at the Methodist Church. The first time he saw her there he asked to walk her home, and she told him that she wouldn't walk home with someone who hadn't brought her. The next week he asked her to go with him ahead of time! They were married a couple of years later when Myrtle was eighteen.
After farming in Atlanta and Scottsbluff, and having three children, they moved to Monrovia, California, where Myrtle's mother was living. They both attended Bible College. Although that was long before the Feminist Movement, Myrtle became an ordained minister and co-pastored churches with her husband. While still in California a fourth child, a girl, was born.
Myrtle was a person who loved both people and animals, and was always taking both under her wing. When she was a little girl she was once reprimanded for playing with the "kitties" in the barn, which were actually baby skunks!
Myrtle was intuitive, creative and talented. She could sing, play the piano and violin, paint and draw, write poetry, and enjoyed public speaking. She was an enthusiastic community leader, and helped start Women's Clubs and 4-H Clubs in the Ozark countryside where they mainly lived from the mid 1930's until 1960.
Her retirement years were spent in Moline, Illinois. At age 73 she began babysitting six-month old Scotty, her youngest daughter's son, while his mother worked. Over the years she continued to help baby-sit Scott and his brother, Chad.
When she broke her hip and could no longer be out and about, people of all ages came to visit her; not to cheer her up, but because she cheered them up! She was a woman admired by many.
Bio courtesy of Elaine (Fitch) Vinzant.
Myrtle's father contracted tuberculosis and died when she was nine years old. Her mother remarried and Myrtle and her brother, Vernon, who was five years younger, went with her to live in Milford, Nebraska. When Myrtle was in her early teens her mother and step-father were divorced. He bought them a house in Lincoln, Nebraska, near the University's School of Agriculture so that Lillie could operate a boarding house for students. Myrtle attended "Ag" school and took Home Economics as well as academic studies. Her future husband, Arthur, was living at a nearby boarding house, and they met at the Methodist Church. The first time he saw her there he asked to walk her home, and she told him that she wouldn't walk home with someone who hadn't brought her. The next week he asked her to go with him ahead of time! They were married a couple of years later when Myrtle was eighteen.
After farming in Atlanta and Scottsbluff, and having three children, they moved to Monrovia, California, where Myrtle's mother was living. They both attended Bible College. Although that was long before the Feminist Movement, Myrtle became an ordained minister and co-pastored churches with her husband. While still in California a fourth child, a girl, was born.
Myrtle was a person who loved both people and animals, and was always taking both under her wing. When she was a little girl she was once reprimanded for playing with the "kitties" in the barn, which were actually baby skunks!
Myrtle was intuitive, creative and talented. She could sing, play the piano and violin, paint and draw, write poetry, and enjoyed public speaking. She was an enthusiastic community leader, and helped start Women's Clubs and 4-H Clubs in the Ozark countryside where they mainly lived from the mid 1930's until 1960.
Her retirement years were spent in Moline, Illinois. At age 73 she began babysitting six-month old Scotty, her youngest daughter's son, while his mother worked. Over the years she continued to help baby-sit Scott and his brother, Chad.
When she broke her hip and could no longer be out and about, people of all ages came to visit her; not to cheer her up, but because she cheered them up! She was a woman admired by many.
Bio courtesy of Elaine (Fitch) Vinzant.
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