Obituary – Una Hannah Ballard

Una Hannah Ballard (Peg) peacefully passed over to Heaven on Dec. 11 while a resident at Bonell Community in Greeley. She was 97. Una was born near Bladen in Webster County, Neb. to Fred and Pearl Delehoy on July 3, 1914, the youngest of six children. Her dad always said she was “a firecracker that exploded too early.” The family moved to a farm near LaPorte when she was five years old; they then moved to a farm south of Pine Bluffs, Wyo. where she attended her first year of school. Shortly after that, her dad purchased a ranch southwest of Bellvue and this was her home until marriage. She loved the ranch life, the beautiful cliffs, the mountains and all the farm animals. Her special joy was working alongside her dad and brothers in the fields.

During school she was an active member of the Camp Fire Girls organization as well as enjoying church work including Christian Endeavor, singing in the choir and teaching a primary grade Sunday School class. She had a great love of music, especially singing in chorus presentations and Triple Trio. She was chosen to represent her school, Cache La Poudre, to compete in county spelling bees and declamation contests.

Beside music, she also enjoyed the athletic programs, earning a letter playing conference basketball plus ribbons won participating in track meets. Since the ranch had a nice pond in the yard at her home, she also enjoyed many years of ice skating.

Una graduated from Cache La Poudre High School and was awarded a scholarship to attend a school in Denver. However, on September 24, 1934, she and Philip Frederick Ballard of Denver were united in marriage in a beautiful rose garden ceremony in Fort Collins, at the home of her pastor. Never a person to belong to numerous clubs, her first love was her Lord Jesus Christ, her beloved husband and five children whom she dearly loved. She was a loving and caring mother, ruling with an English strictness that apparently was inborn. She was also a devoted wife for 62 years until Phil’s death in 1996. Phil began affectionately calling her “Peg“ shortly after returning from his tour of duty in the U. S. Navy during World War II, and her nickname stuck through the years.

She is the last of her immediate family, being preceded in death by her wonderful parents, three brothers, Glen, Raymond, and Victor Delehoy and two sisters, Alice Fisher and Reva Farrell, and many nieces and nephews. Survivors are a daughter, Carolyn Burmont and husband Fred of Evans; son Dale Ballard and wife, Doris of Las Cruces, New Mexico; son Fred Ballard and wife Beverly of Kinnear, Wyo.; daughter Glenda Perea and husband Stanley of Aurora; and daughter Peggy Filer and husband Rex of Alamosa. She leaves 10 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren, 2 great, great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

There will be cremation and no services at her request.