Menu

Obituary for Helen Winifred Ball

Death of Miss Helen W. Ball

Quietly as she had lived, Miss Ball passed forward into the immortal years. She went to sleep, and so they found her last Thursday morning. Her life, although always frail in a physical sense, was strong in its influence upon others, and yet quiet and unassuming. She reminded one of those modest, lowly flowers hidden away among the tall plants and grasses, but pouring out sweet perfumes that fill the air all about them. 

She was born in Rushville, INd. She came from good old colonial stock. A direct descendent of Jonathan Ball, brother of Mary Ball, the mother of George Washington. Another of her ancestors was Governor George Walton of Georgia, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. 

She came with her parents to Kansas in 1869. They settled in the Olathe community. Her girlhood days were spent here. She received her education in the Olathe schools. In 1872 she entered the University at Lawrence. She knew this great educational institution in its days of beginning. Leaving the college she was called for family reasons back to Indiana and circumstances led her to take hold of newspaper work there for a time. She had charge of the Milroy news. 

Upon her return to Kansas she was one of the staff of the Larned Chronoscope. Interest in newspaper work she was ambitious, went to Kansas City and asked for a position on the Kansas City Times. The newspaper profession was somewhat skeptical as to the value of women in those days and the management of the Times only reluctantly gave her a minor position. It was at the time of the Exposition in Kansas City. She was assigned to cover "Dog Day" - and she did this to such advantage and in so fine a write up that everybody talked about it. She then wrote up "Baby Day". 

From that time on the "Times" wanted her. It is said od her that she was the best paid newspaper woman west of New York City. She lacked the physique for this type of work and accepted a position in Haskell INstitute at Lawrence in 1889. She had charge of the paper known as the "Indian Leader", she made it what it is. 

Many times in those early days when others failed her, she turned the old handpress at the Institute and ran off copies. She also had charge of the library. For thirty five years Miss Ball put her life into Haskell Institute. She knew everyone of its pupils .She knew their homes. She made regular trips through the years to the Indian reservations in the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and other states. She would persuade the Indians to send their boys and girls to Haskell. 

It was interesting to see her return from one of these trips with a retinue of young Indians with their clothes done up in bundles. She is credited by the Indian Department of the United States, at Washington, with being the best informed person in the country on Indian affairs. 

Miss Ball was one of the members of the old Congregational church, now known as the First Community church, she transferred her membership a number of years ago to the First Congregational church at Lawrence. Her residence was chiefly there. Most of her friends are there. Although her home she considered was here with her sister, Dr. Jessie Thomas Orr. 

Haskell Institute will miss her, even as they will always profit by her work. She was buried in the family lot in the Olathe cemetery on July 19. The service at the grave and at the home were conducted by Rev. J.V. Bloom of the First COmmunity Churchm music was rendered by a quartet from the choir. Some of her old school mates were among the pall bearers. 

Haskell Institute sent representatives Mr. and Mrs. George Shawnee, Miss Harriet Small, Miss Maggie Naff, Miss Hannah Anderson, and Miss Sarah Sample, "Many others were coming" but the heavy storm made it impossible to drive overland. A very fine part of the funeral service was the testimony given by former Indian pupil and now one of the officials of the INstitute. In his short address he said he had known Miss Ball for 32 years, she had been his friend. That there were thousands of Indians in various parts of the country who would deeply mourn her loss. She had been the good friend of many young people mong the Indians.