Benny Lee Ballard, 92, of Louisville, passed away at 9:45 am, Friday, January 6, 2023, at the Flora Gardens Care Center in Flora.
Benny was born on February 1, 1930, in Clay County, Illinois the son of Clovis and Mary Geneva (Glardon) Ballard. He married Cora Jane Coombes on December 8, 1950, at Charleston Christian Church in Charleston, Illinois, and together they shared nearly 71 years of marriage before she preceded him in death on November 7, 2021.
He graduated from North Clay High School in 1948. He was one of the founding members of the FFA at North Clay. Benny was a member of the United Methodist Church in Louisville. After he was married, he drove a milk truck at Prairie Farms in Olney. He was then employed by Norge in Effingham, which later became Fedders where he worked for 43 years until he retired. Benny was a farmer, and he farmed all his life.
Benny loved his cameras, he took one everywhere he went; he has taken hundreds of pictures. Also, he collected John Deere toy tractors.
Benny is survived by his daughter: Theresa Traub of Mason, Illinois; 4 grandchildren: Tonni (Michael) Micklautz, Justin (Tammy) Traub, Jennifer (Kevin) Billingsley, Ryan (Crystal) Ballard; 10 great-grandchildren: Nathan Micklautz, Abigail Micklautz, Stetsen (Hailey) Traub, Clayten Traub, Matthew Billingsley, Elizabeth (Jakob) Logan, Hanna Ballard, Collyn Ballard, Miah Ballard, William Ballard; 1 great-great-grandson: Michael Parks.
Benny was preceded in death by his parents; wife: Cora Jane Ballard; son: Tommy Ballard; son-in-law: Michael Traub; sisters: Betty Vest, Mary Smock, and Nellie VanDyke.
Funeral services to celebrate Benny’s life will be held at 12:00 pm Thursday, January 12, 2023, at the McGriff Funeral Home in Louisville. Burial will follow at the Orchard Hill Cemetery, Louisville. Visitation will be held on Thursday at the funeral home where friends may call from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Benny’s memory to the North Clay FFA. To sign the guestbook online or share a memory of Benny please visit www.mcgriffandtriplettfh.com.