Harriet M. Ballard, 88, of Cave City passed away Monday, August 5, 2024.
She was born in Flint, Michigan to Clarence and Jessie Marie (Beaton) Herweyer on February 29, 1936, but the doctor wouldn’t recognize the leap year, so on paper her birthday became March 1, 1936.
Harriet spent her early summers in northern Michigan on her family’s tree farm and at the family cabin at Canada Creek, Michigan. She married the love of her life, Glen Ballard on May 28, 1954, in Flint, Michigan. Harriet worked for General Motors Institute and retired from A.C. Spark Plug after 30 years of service. Together, they raised their three children until retiring in 1987 to Arkansas. There, they started their second career, raising cattle in Arkansas until 2021 shortly before Glen passed away.
Harriet bowled for many years, both in Michigan and Arkansas. She began doing water aerobics in retirement and assisted in teaching classes at Lyon College and the Batesville Community Center. She was always feeding her family both with food and comfort. She was best known for her holiday spreads and her fried chicken dinners. She never let you step away from the table hungry and always made sure to cater to each person’s preferences. Usually, you rolled away from the table because you were still full and 15 minutes later she had an assortment of homemade pies and desserts (apple, pecan, pumpkin and peanut butter pies were staples)!
She was a member of the Foxy Ladies Red Hat Society, Regal Roses Red Hat Association and previously a member of the Women’s International Bowling Congress, Arkansas Cattleman’s Association, and American Kennel Association where she showed dogs with her husband in her early years and Northeast Arkansas Angus Association.
She was empathic and had a sixth sense about her because she always could feel if something was going on with any of her loved ones, no matter how far away they were. She loved her family deeply always worrying about all of them and keeping tabs.
Survivors include one son, Glen Allen Ballard (Jean) of Michigan; two daughters, Rebecca Ballard-Cole (Robert) of Ohio, and Jennifer Ballard Barron (Dean) of Oklahoma; one sister, Sherrill Barker (Don) of Florida; four grandchildren, Jessica Ward (Joe) of Florida, Christain Ballard of Michigan, Kasey Glen Barron of Oklahoma, Kelly Lynn Barron of Oklahoma, and one great-grandchild, Mia Ward of Ohio.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Glen James Ballard; three brothers and three sisters, Bernice Wilmarth, Henry Herweyer, Violet Herweyer, Marie McClain, Murray Herweyer, Carl Herweyer; one daughter, Baby Girl Ballard, and one granddaughter, Katie Lee Barron.
Pallbearers are Glen Allen Ballard, Dean Barron, Kasey Barron, Ronnie Carlton, Jeremy Chapman, and Joe Ward.
Funeral services will be held at the Roller-Crouch Funeral Home in Batesville at 11:00 am on Friday, August 9, 2024, with Caleb Harris officiating. Burial will follow at Mount View Cemetery, east of Cave City on Hwy 230.
Visitation will be held from 10:00 am until 11:00 am just before the service.
Memorials may be made in her name to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, 1 Children’s Way, Little Rock, AR 72202.
