Anna "Marie" Ballard

Anna Marie Brown Ballard was born on her family’s ranch eight miles southwest of Springfield on November 28, 1917 to Warren O. and Mary Konkel Brown.  Marie was the youngest child born to this union.  Her older siblings were George, who died in infancy, Orval, Ruby and Olen.   Their mother died from influenza when Marie was not quite a year old.  This left Warren with four small children to care and provide for on his own.  Warren received help from his parents, George and Alice Brown, who lived in Lamar.  The four small children lived with their grandparents in Lamar for almost two years.  Warren traveled back and forth from Springfield to Lamar to visit his children when he was able to while also working as the manager of the flour mill in Springfield.    Warren met Maymie Truax, a widow with three young children.  They were married on August 22, 1920.  Maymie’s children were Ruth, Jack and Reed, also known as Bunny.  This union successfully blended two families together during a very difficult time.  The bond formed in this family was a strong and happy one.  The children got along remarkably well but not without some minor squabbles that were to be expected.  Maymie became the Brown kids’ Mom and they never thought of calling her anything else.  Warren and Maymie worked very hard providing for this large family.  Marie commented over and over through the years that she and her brothers and sisters had a wonderful childhood.  She complimented her parents for the exceptional job they had done raising their family and had only the utmost respect for both.   Marie spent her younger years riding a school bus from their ranch house to the Liberty School each day which was 8 to 10 miles.  The bus, which really was more like a truck, had canvas sides that rolled up and down.  There was a row of seats on each side that faced inward.  She told of many adventures on this bus which included dirt storms, snow storms and getting stuck in the sand in the bottom of the creek.  Her family went to Springfield every Sunday to attend the Methodist Church.  Marie was a member of Springfield United Methodist Church.     About the time Marie was ready to enter high school, her family moved to Springfield.  She attended Springfield High School, graduating in 1936.  Marie knew Edgar Allen Poe Ballard from high school, although Poe was a year older.  They had a period of courtship and were married on December 31, 1936.  Poe and Marie worked in Poe’s family owned and operated grocery store, “The Boy’s Market”.  In 1942, they moved to Pueblo, CO where Poe was stationed in the Army Air Force during World War II.  Poe and Marie made many lifelong friendships during this time.  Upon returning home to Baca County in 1945, Poe and Marie bought the grocery store from his dad and operated it for ten years.  Lila Lorraine arrived to bless this marriage in 1950 and Matt Allen joined them in 1955 to complete their happy family.   After selling the grocery store, Poe worked for Marie’s dad, W.O. Brown, in his real estate business.  With Poe at work, Marie was busy at home raising and caring for two small children.  During these years she also managed to work in the school lunchroom and Traders Grocery Store off and on.   Poe and Marie took a big step to try a new adventure in 1963.  They purchased the Ideal Café and operated it for 12 years, selling it in 1976.  It was here in the restaurant on south Main St. in Springfield that many, many  friends were made.  Marie worked very hard and long hours to help make this business successful.  She worked in all capacities including waitress, cook and dishwasher, she did it all.  Many past employees have told her and her family how much they respected Poe and Marie and how many life lessons they learned.  Marie didn’t take guff off anyone including those entertaining and sometimes pesky coffee drinkers.  She pretty much told people exactly what she thought.  They also sold many of Poe’s beautiful prairie watercolor paintings hanging in the restaurant to tourists as well as local people.  After selling the café, Poe and Marie enjoyed their grandchildren, did some traveling and Poe continued to paint.  During working and nonworking years, Marie enjoyed collecting antiques.  She went on many antique hunting trips with her “antiquing friends”.  Their house continued to get more and more full.  For a short time she had an antique store on Main St.  Marie also enjoyed playing all kinds of card games, especially Bridge.  She belonged to different Bridge Clubs through the years.  Those were really great times.  Many lasting friendships were formed.  Marie also liked to crochet, making many beautiful afghans, doilies and Christmas ornaments.  Dressing up and going to the Senior Citizen dances was a really wonderful experience for Poe and Marie.  More wonderful friendships were formed.  Also tops on her list was collecting teddy bears and decorating for Christmas.  Her house at Christmas time was a showplace.  Marie enjoyed her nieces and nephews all through her life.  As their children came along, she really enjoyed that generation too.  She loved babies and got to enjoy many new members of the Brown/Truax family.      Poe and Marie were very fortunate to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on December 31, 2006.  A raging blizzard prevented them from celebrating with friends and family as planned.  Nonetheless, they marked the occasion at home with each other.   Poe passed away on April 7, 2007 leaving Marie at home alone for the next seven years.  After having Pneumonia, she had to be on oxygen full time.  Those cords were a nuisance to her!  Thankfully she only got tangled up in them a few times.  At this time she enjoyed playing games on a computer that Matt fixed up for her…more Bridge of course.  During these years her eyesight was starting to fail.  Between the oxygen and eyesight problems, she had to give up playing Bridge with her friends as well as driving and going places on her own.  Giving up her independence was very difficult for Marie.  Depending on someone for almost everything did not go over very well with her.  Marie had wonderful neighbors who cared for her and helped her immensely.  Fortunately she could continue to be an avid reader with the large print books of course.     Marie had a long and full life.  She was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother.  Marie lived through 96 years of many remarkable events and changes such as The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, World War II, space missions, landing on the moon, many presidents, good times, bad times, radio, TV, computers, cell phones and those pesky answering machines and voice mail messages that she never did understand.  She was generous almost to a fault.  Friends and family could never get ahead of her skills of giving and sharing.  Marie tirelessly took care of others and would do almost anything for them.  She was an extremely hard working person and was used to going 90 miles an hour at everything she did which really cramped her style in later years.     Preceding Marie in death were her husband, parents, brothers, sisters, grandson, Matthew Ballard, and several brothers and sisters-in-law.  She leaves behind a host of friends and many precious memories.  Her family will miss her greatly.  Marie leaves her daughter and husband, Lila and Bob Gourley of Two Buttes; son and wife, Matt and Robin Ballard of Springfield; granddaughters, Angelique and husband, David Saunders and Shawna Ballard of Lancaster, PA; step granddaughter and husband, Andrea and Steve Keenan of Springfield; step great grandsons, Kaden and Gavin Keenan of Springfield; and several nieces and nephews.Funeral Services for Anna Marie Ballard will be Thursday April 10, 2014 at 2:00 PM at Maltbie Funeral Services – 265 West 8th Ave. Springfield CO.  In lieu of flowers the family has requested that donations be given to the Springfield United Methodist Church’s Building Fund (PO BOX 193 Springfield CO 81073) either directly or through Maltbie Funeral Services.