Memorials › Raymond Allen Ballard

Raymond Allen Ballard

1 Dec 1927 – 17 Oct 2016

Birth1 Dec 1927
Death17 Oct 2016
CemeteryMount Hope Cemetery
Valentine , Cherry County , Nebraska , USA
Added byDi Sanner Judy on 25 Jun 2023
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/171883291

Bio

Ray was born December 1, 1927 at Clay Center, Nebraska to Jim and Anna (Arp) Ballard. He attended school in Burwell, NE participating in football, basketball and track and graduated in 1945. Ray joined the Navy on January 4, 1946 and received a medical discharge in December 1946, following a diagnosis of Rheumatic Fever. He later became actively engaged with the Disabled American Veterans serving as National Adjutant. Ray returned to Nebraska and married Mershon Smith from Burwell, NE in 1947. To this union, sons Jim and Steve were born. He attended Hastings College and following graduation, Ray was employed by the St. Paul Insurance company as the Nebraska state Field Agent serving local agency representatives. The family moved to Valentine in 1954 where Ray became the manager of the Stilwell Agency. Ray and Mershon were divorced in 1955. Ray married Lorraine Hansen on September 17, 1956 and to this union, son Scott was born. Ray opened an Insurance and Real Estate business as the Ray Ballard Agency and became an active member of the Valentine Chamber of Commerce serving as secretary for several years. He was instrumental in establishing Radio KVSH in Valentine along with many community service activities. Ray established Developments Incorporated creating the Frontier, Valley View and Lakeshore Drive residential subdivisions and pursued further residential and business construction and remodeling. Ray loved the country and animals as well as working with people. He purchased ranch property in Keya Paha county NE and moved his parents to Norden, NE in 1964 where Anna became Postal Mistress for many years. In 1979, Ray became manager of the Spike Box Ranch in southern Cherry County. He spent seven years working with cattle and horses, ranch hands and good cow dogs. In 1986, Ray and Lorraine moved to Springview to be near their ranch in Keya Paha County. He later established RALO trucking company and enjoyed traveling all over the United States and Canada with Lorraine as his dispatcher. Ray retired from the trucking business in 2005 and returned to working and developing the ranch near Norden. Ray lived life actively as a 'doer' and inactivity due to health problems was not something that Ray accepted easily. He passed away on October 17, 2016 at 88 years of age. He was preceded in death by his brother Meredith (Pete) of Broken Bow, NE, sisters Treva (Vernon) Neumeyer of Valentine, NE, Harriet (Tom) Williams of Memphi,s TN, and Wanda (Roger) Staples of Princeton, IL. Ray is survived by his wife, Lorraine of 60 years and one month; sons Jim of Springview, NE, Steve and wife Marie of Beaverton, OR, and Scott and wife MaryLynn of O'Neill, NE. He is also survived by his grandchildren; Grant of Cave Creek, AZ, Chris and wife Tita of Omah,a NE, Corrine Robinson and husband Kirk of Redmond, WA, Tim and wife Sasha of Chicago, IL, Nichole Wambsgans and husband Mike of Fort Bragg, NC, and Chally Cox and husband Ryan of Louisville, KY, five great grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, relatives and wonderful friends. Memorial services for Ray will be held Thursday, November 3rd at New Hope Community Church in Springview NE at 10:00 AM with interment at Mount Hope cemetery in Valentine with military honors at 2:30 PM. Holmes Funeral Service of Valentine is in charge of services.

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