1Tjodd Ryan Ball, The Block Island Times. ".". "
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Writer’s Block
A sense of where you are from
By Todd Ryan Ball
Todd and Rhonda Ball.
My grandfather, Ira William Ball, died Oct. 15, 1958. I was a 9-year-old boy at the time. To my father Rodney’s amazement, Uncle Harold and Uncle Carl showed up at the funeral, with an Aunt Elizabeth. My father did not know these uncles existed.
To say the family was not close was an understatement. There was no trail of family lineage. Dad had heard that the family probably came over from Britain or Wales. Great-grandfather Willie had owned a tavern in Valley, Neb. Information stopped at that point.
My generation was exhorted by Ram Dass to "be here now." I read John McPhee’s work about Bill Bradley, "A Sense of Where You Are." I was in the here and now, I had a keen awareness of place. I wanted to know how it was I got here.
I could find so little out about the Ball family. On my maternal side, I had juxtaposition. My grandmother, Laura Popken Osterloh, had extensive documentation of family history. Grandma kept a journal all of her life. She traced the family tree to Oldenberg, Germany. Her records even included confirmation Bible passages from the 17th and 18th centuries.
On the Ball side, I was stuck at Willie’s Tavern. I wanted to look beyond that. My father was a good man, a loving father. I’ve also heard him described as lanky, likable, a river rat, a rounder and a sportsman. My father, his sister, my grandfather and my great-grandfather all suffered from the disease of alcoholism. They all perished from associated symptoms. I hope for better for myself and my children. I wanted to find a place in the family history where this wasn’t the norm.
Two years ago I heard from Paul Adair of Omaha, Neb. He is a distant cousin, a person I did not know. Paul was researching family tree information. We live only one hour apart, but he found me in a roundabout manner. A distant cousin in Georgia told him of my existence. Paul thought my lineage had died out. From Paul I received pictures of a Ball family cemetery near Springfield, Neb., and also a vital clue. Willie Ball’s father’s name was Silas Sanford Ball.
I typed Silas Sanford Ball into the Google search engine on my computer. Bingo! I came upon the Ball/Autrey Family History Site. It is a wonderful site maintained by Donna Ball Autrey of Redding, Calif. In a few moments, my family lineage opened before my eyes. I could move from Silas to James Rose (born on Block Island), to Edward John, to Edward, on to Edward Sr.
I found that the family had come from Berkshire, England. It may have originated in the Breton area of France. I learned that my lineage left Block Island, moving to Freedom, N.Y., then Batavia, Ill., then Springfield and Fremont, Neb., and places westward from there.
I was struck by the courage and adventurous spirit of my forbears, both in settling Block Island, and in moving West as pioneers. I was gladdened to find patriots, builders, good citizens, people with moral courage and democrats a part of my heritage.
I read every item I could find about Block Island. I read of Civil War veterans, I read about land dealings, I read Howard Zinn’s "People’s History of the United States," and I read about Phillip Berrigan and William Stringfellow being on the island. That surprised me - as a young man in college, I spent a nice afternoon in a long and interesting discussion with Stringfellow.
Each week, I look forward to the new issue of the Block Island Times on the Internet. From the quiet sense of beauty in Martha Ball’s writing, I have a pleasant picture of the place. Stacey Longo Brown’s columns make me hear the chatter, the laughter, and the day-to-day sounds of the island.
I travel a bit, and I hope to have an opportunity to visit Block Island in the future. Mrs. Brown told me I should be proud to be a Block Island Ball. I certainly am.
"Writer’s Block," which will run periodically, is reserved for personal essays from our staff or readers. Everyone is encouraged to contribute."