Obituary of Ina Mae Ballard Ball

WOODFIN – Ina Mae Ballard Ball, age 81, of Woodfin, died Wednesday, July 28, 2021.

Mrs. Ball was born June 4, 1940, in Barnardsville to the late Willie Ralph and Aretta Williams Ballard; she was a resident of Buncombe County all her life. She and her husband were the owners and operators of Ball’s Produce in New Bridge for many years, and more recently she worked at Ingles in Woodland Hills. 

Ina loved to take bus rides with her friends into Cherokee to play Bingo, and slot machines. She was a big fan of casinos.  Ina will be remembered for taking care of her mother without complaint and for shouting in the produce stand, “Don’t Squeeze the Tomatoes”.  She was a member of Newbridge Baptist Church.  In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her husband, Bobby Robert Ball who died in 2016, and daughter, Brenda Benfield.

Surviving are her children, Belinda Ball, Suana Gentry (David), Dale Ball (Carey), James Ball (Angie); son-in-law, Danny Buchanan; sister, Nell Metcalf; brother, Frank Ballard; grandchildren, Paula Stamey (Randy), Brian Wheeler, Bobby Wheeler, David Gentry, Jr. (Maria), David W. Ball, Bobby Ball, Angel Smith, April Arthur (Jonathan); and a host of great grandchildren.

Her funeral service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Monday August 2, 2021, in the Chapel of West Funeral Home, 17 Merrimon Ave., Weaverville. Frank Ballard will officiate. Burial will follow in Elk Mountain Cemetery, Woodfin.

The family will receive friends 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. prior to the funeral service on Monday at the funeral home.

For those who desire, condolences may be offered to the family under Mrs. Ball’s obituary at www.WestFamilyFuneralServices.com.