
rank Clayton Ball, President of
Ball Brothers Company, Muncie, was born in the village of Greensburg, Trumbull
County, Ohio, November 24, 1857, and is a son of Lucius Stiles Ball and Maria
P. (Bingham) Ball, who were the parents of eight children: six sons - Lucius
L, William C., Edmund B., Frank C., George A., and Clinton H.; and two daughters
- Lucina A. and Frances May. An account of Mr. Ball's ancestry, early life
and business career will be found in the biography of his brother, Edmund
Burke Ball, presented elsewhere in this work. These two brothers are of nearly
the same age and it is impossible to separate their activities from earliest
childhood to the present day. Frank Clayton Ball and his four brothers have
been very closely associated in all their many interests, outside of as well
as in their business. They have taken an active interest in public affairs.
They have contributed more than one million dollars to public institutions.
Among some of the more important are - the Indiana State Normal School (Ball
Teacher's College) [later still, Ball State University], the Young Men's
Christian Association, the Young Women's Christian Association, Muncie City
Hospital [Ball Memorial Hospital] Masonic Temple and Auditorium, Riley Hospital,
Hillside College and Keuka College. Frank Clayton Ball in addition to being
President of Ball Brothers Company, is President of the Muncie Young Men's
Christian Association, of the Muncie & Portland Traction Company and
of the Muncie and Western Railroad Company; a Director of the Federal Reserve
Bank, Chicago; the Indiana State Norma School; Keuka College, New York; the
Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis, and the Warner Gear Company, Muncie; is
a Knight Templar Scottish Rite Mason, and a member of the Universalist Church.
In 1893, at Muncie, Frank Clayton Ball was untied in marriage to Elizabeth
Wolfe Brady and to this union five children have been born: three daughters
- Lucy, Margaret and Rosemary; and two sons - Edmund Arthur and Frank Elliott.
Edmund Arthur Ball, a veteran of the World War [first] and present (1924)
Commander of the Indiana Division of the American Legion and advanced to
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, who is associated with the operations of
the Ball Brothers Company in an executive capacity and concerning whom further
mention is made elsewhere in this work, married Frances Davies and has two
children Arthur Brady and Barbara. Margaret Ball married Fred Petty and is
now living in St. Louis. Mrs. Elizabeth Brady Ball was born at Muncie and
is a daughter of Thomas J. and Emeline (Wolfe) Brady, the latter of whom
was a daughter of Adam and Elizabeth (Elliott) Wolfe, who in their generation
were large factors in the social and commercial development of the Muncie
community. Adam Wolfe, who died in the spring of 1892, was born in Washington
Count, Pennsylvania, in 1807, and was a son of John and Catherine (Devore)
Wolfe, who in 1809 moved with their family to Ohio and settled in Coshocton
County. He early became engaged in the mercantile business in Ohio, later
extended his interests into Indiana and in 1855 located at Muncie, where
he became successfully engaged in banking and merchandising. He and his wife
were the parents of seven children. Thomas J. Brady, father of Mrs. Ball,
was in his generation one of the best known men in Indiana. He was a son
of John Brady, first Mayor of the city of Muncie and concerning whom full
and fitting mention is made elsewhere in this work, and was from the days
of his boyhood an active factor in Muncie's affairs. Born in n1840, he had
just come into his majority when the Civil War broke out. He at once enlisted
his services in behalf of the cause of the Union and went out as Captain
of the first company of soldiers recruited in Muncie. In 1863 he was given
a Colonel's commission and continued his service until mustered out in July
1865, the war then being over, and he was retired with the brevet rank of
Brigadier General. General Brady later became engaged in newspaper work at
Muncie, and later was appointed Assistant Postmaster General under President
Hayes and his last days were spent in the East. To him and his wife were
born three children, Mrs. Ball, Arthur W. Brady who is President of the Indiana
Union Traction Company and Mrs. John Otis Adams. Mr. Adams is one of the
leading artists in the Middle West. Mrs. Adams is also an artist to of note
and excels in painting still life.