Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Ball, Allen September 5 2004
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
K Taylor bluewolf@onemain.com September 10, 2004, 5:54 pm

The Bakersfield Californian 
Allen Ball
July 13, 1918 Sept. 5, 2004

Services: Sat., Sept. 11, 10 a.m. 



Graveside services for Allen Ball, 86, will be held Saturday, September 11, 
2004, 10:00 a.m., at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Visitation will be Friday, 
September 10, 2004, from 4 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Allen passed away at Rosewood 
Skilled Nursing Facility with family members by his side. He had resided there 
since a major stroke on August 15, 2004.

Allen August Ball was born in Spokane, WA to Alva and Edna Ball. In the 20s, 
the family moved to a small farm on Rosedale Highway. He attended Fruitvale 
School and Kern County Union High School. In 1938, he enlisted in the Marine 
Corps where he served 7 years. He was in Iceland before the U.S. entered the 
War. After Pearl Harbor he saw action on Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa.

It was on a bus ride to Camp Pendleton that he met the love of his life, Mary 
Kathryn (Kay) Crane from Huntington Park. Though normally quiet, he was 
smitten immediately and talked all the way to L.A. Later, Kay wrote this 
handsome young marine a friendly note. They courted through the mail and he 
would drive up to see her when he was on leave.

They were married on April 6, 1942. They had two sons and a daughter and were 
very dedicated to their family. Allen was a hands-on dad and taught his kids 
to work hard, have fun with your family, respect others, and help those less 
fortunate. This meant numerous chores and projects around the home, JBA, 
scouts, dance lessons, drive-in movies, trips to see wildflowers (or to play 
in the snow), monthly dinners and Yahtzee with his folks, and barbecues with 
some spirited games of croquette and ping pong. A highlight was a 2 week trip 
to the Seattle Worlds Fair in 1962.

Allen worked as a machinist for 37 years at Hoppers Machine Works, retiring in 
1983. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved fishing, hunting, and camping with 
the family. In their later years, he and Kay enjoyed backpacking, tennis, 
traveling and helping out at Pyles Boys Camp work parties. They had 51 years 
together until Kays passing in 1993. Al enjoyed reading, taking long walks, 
gardening and observing hummingbirds. He moved to Rosewood Independent Living 
in July of 2002.

Allen exemplified many of the traits and values of the Greatest Generation: 
hard work, commitment to excellence, patriotism, serving your country and 
others, not complaining or considering oneself special for doing what needed 
to be done.

Allen was preceded in death by his parents and by his stepfather, Leroy 
Hackney. He is survived by his sister, Virginia Burgess at Rosewood; his son, 
Ken Ball of Placerville; his son, Bruce (with wife, Sharon and daughter, 
Kathryn) of Bakersfield; and daughter, Diane Fidyke (with husband, Sigmund, 
daughter, Tanya, and son, Adam) of Mission Viejo; several nieces and nephews, 
as well as many friends. He was a beloved husband, brother, father, 
grandfather, uncle, and friend and will be dearly missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Pyles Boys Camp, 27211 
Henry Mayo Drive, Valencia, CA 93155 or Hoffmann Hospice, 5300 California 
Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93309 or the charity of your choice.


Additional Comments:
Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased.

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