My Grandfather, James Norman Ball

I was in St. Pete, FL with my husband visiting our great long-time friends, Paul and Paula. Paula drove me to the Bay Pines National Cemetery not far from her home, where we found my grandfather's grave stone. He died at the VA Hospital in 1940.

When I returned home, I did some research (and thought of many more unanswered questions), and found the following, which I will eventually add to the blog:

o       1890 Nov. 29, Born, College Point, Queens, NY, to father James Ball from England (32 yrs) and mother Margaretha Kohlus Ball from Germany (35 yrs)

      

      My grandfather was left with "cousins" when her mother became sick and then died. Apparently he was placed in an the orphanage, but not sure when. Haven't found where his mother died or buried.

o       1900 Census: Lived in the Paterson Orphan Asylum. (DOB Mar 1890)

o       1910 Census: Lived in Patterson, New Jersey, with William E. Speer (65 yrs) and Sarah A. Speer (58 yrs), and Joseph B Sipp (39 yrs) and Katharine Sipp (39 yrs), daughter of Speers

      The Speers took in or "adopted" my grandfather. Mr. Speer was a photographer and grandfather was his helper. Mr. Sipp was married to the Speer daughter, Katherine.

o       4/13/1918 – 1/4/1919: Drafted in WWI as a Sgt. in the Army Air Corps, Aerial Photo School, A.S.

      My grandfather's WWI Registration Card indicates he was married.

1   1920 Census: Lived in Jacksonville, FL with his wife, my grandmother, Irene O’Hagan Ball, along with her sister Edith O’Hagan (who died at Chatahoochee) and her brother Joseph O’Hagan

    

      My dad was born in 1924 in Jacksonville.

     1935 Census: He was working as a court reporter & living in Sebring, Florida (my dad was in 7th grade)

         1940 Census: He was a patient at the VA Hospital in Pinellas, Florida

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         May 22, 1940: He died at the VA Hospital and buried at Bay Pines National Cemetary