If you want to know what matters most to Elizabeth “Liz” Ball, just ask her about family dinners after Sunday church. Born in Harlan, Kentucky, to Walter and Mattie Jeffery, Liz grew up in the little town of Crummies, where her father worked long days as a coal miner and her mother kept the household running. Liz remembers a house full of laughter, her brother Walter Jr. and sister Betty Sue by her side, and the special Saturdays when her grandmother and aunt arrived for the weekend. They’d pile into the car to go grocery shopping, all looking forward to the big meal they’d share after church—something Liz still calls one of her favorite traditions.

School days were busy and bright: Crummies Elementary, Grays Knob High, afternoons filled with 4H Club projects and Girl Scout meetings. But it was a drive-in diner where Liz’s next chapter began—she met Leonard Campbell Ball there, and from that first meeting, something just clicked. Liz and Leonard both ended up in Richmond for college: Leonard poured himself into accounting, earning his CPA degree, while Liz studied Home Economics at Eastern State College. They married in 1959, and over the years welcomed two children, Priscilla and Byron. Family kept growing, too—now there are four grandchildren (Carrie, Amanda, Kyla, and Sarah) and two great-grandchildren, Decker and Katherine, all part of Liz’s proudest legacy.

After college, Liz devoted herself to raising her children and making a home where everyone felt welcome. The Ball family eventually moved to Kingsport, Tennessee, for Leonard’s CPA work. Liz threw herself into every part of her kids’ lives: cheering Byron on at tennis matches, applauding Priscilla at dance recitals, always present and always encouraging.

Church has always been at the heart of Liz’s world. The Balls were fixtures at First Baptist Church in Kingsport, where Liz taught Sunday School to a room full of energetic third-graders and Leonard served as a deacon, helped run the church’s finances, and stayed active in the Baptist Association.

Liz’s calendar was always full—bridge club, church ladies’ groups, concerts with friends, and supper club dinner parties that left everyone smiling. She loved her weekend getaways, especially her yearly trips to Gatlinburg to hear David Jeremiah speak. And when she tells the story of the 19-day church group road trip across the country, she still laughs about how the preacher cut the adventure short so everyone could make it home in time for church.



These days, Liz calls Legacy Village of Cleveland home. She’s a regular at devotions and church services, cherishes her friendships, and brings that same warmth and spirit to everyone she meets. We’re grateful Liz chose Legacy Village, and it’s our joy to honor her.