Ermyntrude Ballard

Our Mother - Ermyntrude Long Ballard

Hernshaw -  Born April 2, 1933 and entered her eternal home February 16, 2023 at Montgomery General Hospital with family by her side. A native of Boone County, WV, she was the daughter of the late Haley and Lennie Mae Long. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her brothers, Elmo and Charles Long,;sister, Lilly Barker; infant son, Daniel Ballard; sons-in-law, Robert Leffew and George Wolfe; great grandson, Christopher Pewitt; and her husband of 56 years, Ishmael Alba Ballard. 

Ermyntrude was a member of Lens Creek Church of the Nazarene and enjoyed reading her Bible. She retired from Peter Pan Cleaners and also worked at Bible Center Daycare. Ermyntrude was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was fully committed to being an encouragement to her family and was always finding ways to bring us all together, usually with amazingly prepared meals on Sunday afternoons. She loved sitting on her back porch reading a good book or looking through the latest magazines. She also enjoyed gardening, crafting, and sewing and finding a “treasure” while thrifting. We can remember more than once mom in the kitchen fixing us taffy and other goodies for bake sales at school or at the sewing machine working late into the night on a new outfit for us. 

She is survived by her children, Richard Ballard (Rosemary), Rebecca Leffew, Elizabeth Wolfe, Cynthia Clark (Roger), Bruce Ballard (Rowena); grandchildren,Tracy, Andrea, Amanda, Tabitha, Daniel, Craig, Rachel, Jason, Jessica, Danen; fourteen great grandchildren; and one great-great granddaughter.

We would like to share our mothers last words for her family; “I’m ready to go to the Lord. Tell the kids I love them. I’ll always be with them. No matter where they go, no matter what they do in life I’ll always love them.”

Despite the dementia and second stroke that tried to consume her memories, in the end, it simply could not erase the love she had for her Savior and her family. 

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 19, 2023, at Handley Funeral Home in Danville, WV with the Reverend Pat McGue officiating.  Burial will follow at the Ballard Cemetery at Low Gap, WV. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.

The care of Ermyntrude Ballard has been entrusted to Handley Funeral Home, Inc. of Danville, WV.