Lillian Walker Ballard, 95, died Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at her home in Josephine, surrounded by loving family.
She was born in Athens, Ga., Jan. 20, 1918 to Clarence N. Walker and Lois Witcher Walker, and moved to Clearwater, Fla., as a young girl. After graduating from Clearwater High School, she went north for her education, earning a BA from the University of Georgia in 1939 and a masters in library science from Emory University in 1940.
She returned to Tarpon Springs, Fla., where she briefly worked as a librarian. Visiting friends in Pensacola, she met Austin Ballard. Wartime gas rationing making impractical long distance courtships between central Florida and Pensacola, they married on April 25, 1942 and she moved to Pensacola.
She provided a home from which Austin contributed to the war effort as a civilian at NAS Pensacola. She continued to live in Pensacola as homemaker and mother and moved to Josephine in 1964, where she lived almost 50 years.
After Austin’s death in 1997, she became the de facto historian of Josephine, though some suspected her of occasionally using her secret minor in creative history.
Lilian worked as a librarian at Elberta and Robertsdale schools from 1967 to 1977. She was active in the Josephine Arts and Crafts club, Daughters of the American Revolution, United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Baldwin Heritage Museum in Elberta. She was an active member of the Josephine Baptist Mission, later Josephine Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, W. Stokes Walker, killed in action at Saipan; brother C. Neel Walker Jr., a PT boat veteran; and husband, B. Austin Ballard, the last native of Josephine. Survivors include two sons William Stokes Ballard and Robert A. Ballard; daughter, Sherrie Ballard (Jim) Smith; three granddaughters, Leslie S. (Michal) Malos, Marian W. Smith and Karen B. Ballard; great-grandson, Dorian Malos; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
The family requests memorial donations be made to the Josephine Baptist Church building fund, 6854 County Road 95, Elberta, AL 36530.
Visitation begins at 1 p.m. with funeral services at 2 p.m. Friday, March 22 at Josephine Baptist Church.
Arrangements are by Pine Rest Funeral Home, Foley.
