Shirley M. Ball

Shirley Marie Bruner Ball of Garnett, Kansas was born August 9, 1941 on the family farm near Xenia, Kansas and passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at the age of 75. Shirley Marie Bruner Ball was born August 9, 1941 on the family farm near Xenia, Kansas along the Osage River. She was the 7th of 10 children born to Walter Eberlee Bruner and Agnes Mackie Bruner. Her life was shaped by a large farming family and surrounding neighbors in Mud Hollow. She attended grade school through 8th grade at Mapleton and went on to graduate from Blue Mound High School in 1959. She loved her big family and growing up with eight siblings helped develop her love of competition. As a young girl Shirley enjoyed reading, basketball, softball, and swimming. She learned to work hard on the farm as a child and was dedicated to her work as an adult. After high school she worked for two years in Fort Scott at Western Insurance. She was united in marriage to Carrol Ball in 1962. This union was blessed with three children, Juanita Joann, Lonnie Carrol, and Jonnie Lee Ball. During this time in her life she also worked hard at building a business in Centerville with Carrol and raising sheep which she loved so much. This marriage ended in divorce in 1969. She loved her parents and siblings deeply and relied on them for guidance and support as a single parent trying to balance all of life's responsibilities and challenges. They were always there to help and be supportive to her. She went to work at the Parker Sewing Factory and later at the Sherwood Inn and Restaurant in Garnett, where she loved her co-workers and customers. She was a huge Perry Mason fan, loved listening to the radio, loved playing cards and Yahtzee! She enjoyed playing softball with her Bush City girlfriends! She was known to take great delight in a cold Coors beer on a hot summer day and loved a new bottle of any perfume. She has the AVON bottles to prove it! She gave the BEEHIVE hairdo whole new meaning back in the day and Aunt Rainnie let her know if she did not have her hair done right!! She loved her Centerville friends like family and they had a lot of good times. Swimming at the rock quarry, Centerville Days, Blue Mound 4th of July Celebration, and watching their kids grow up were just a few. She loved dogs and often took in stray dogs or cats the kids would drag home. Her companions through the years were Rover, Speckles, and Gizzy. She raised her children to work hard, do their best at everything, and to never give up, no matter what challenges they faced. Shirley enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren playing sports and was always the loudest person cheering for them in the crowd. She never cared who won or lost in games, but liked a good competition. EXCEPT her Bush City Women's Softball Team, they were the best in her eyes. After retirement her favorites included the Jayhawks, Royals, and the Buffalos. Shirley enjoyed traveling with her companion Clifford Wells and her favorite activity "stripper bass fishing" at Lake Texoma. There was no adventure too far for them! Shirley enjoyed going to the Senior Center for fellowship, fun, and food. She also still loved coming to the farm to check on pigs, cattle or the grandsons even after her health began to fail. Shirley had a determined spirit and was tough her whole life. During her extended stay at Olathe Medical Center, both doctors and nursing staff often commented on how tough she was to keep fighting to live even when the odds were against her. Shirley passed away at Richmond Care Center on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at the age of 75 years old. She leaves behind her son, Jon Ball of Kansas City, Kansas; her son, Lonnie Ball and wife Melanie of Olathe, Kansas; daughter, Joann Peine and husband Bob of Parker, Kansas; and companion, Clifford Wells of Garnett. She is also survived by her brother, Willard Bruner and wife Darla of Fort Scott, Kansas, her sisters, Venita Miller of Kincaid, Kansas and Marilyn Bruner of Fort Scott, Kansas; sister in-law, Freda Bruner of Mound City, Kansas; many nieces and nephews; and her grandsons, Lee, Damon, and Donovan Ball, Trint, Justin, and Chaylin Peine. She was preceded in death by her parents; infant sister, Mary; sisters, Lorraine Wilcox and husband W.H. Wilcox, Leora Ross and husband Keith Ross, and Pauline Seitz and husband Gene Seitz; brothers, Virgil Bruner and Joseph Bruner; nephews, Raymond Badders and Virgil Miller; and niece, Vicki Bruner. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m., on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, at the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, Garnett with burial following in the Sunny Slope Cemetery in Blue Mound, Kansas. Family will greet friends on Monday evening at the funeral home from 6:00 p.m., to 8:00 p.m. Memorials contributions may be left to Prairie Paws Rescue in care of Feuerborn Family Funeral Home. You may send your condolences to the family at www.feuerbornfuneral.com . »(Do not delete this line. It does not print. Text that is to appear on web must be entered before this line)