Mrs. Emma Jean Ball

Emma Jean Ball, was born November 17, 1934 in Fordyce, Arkansas to the late Jacob and Lillian Archer. Emma migrated to Detroit, Michigan during her early childhood years. She accepted Christ at an early age and became a member of New Bethel Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Rev. C.L. Franklin. Later in Emma’s Christian journey she begins deepening her relationship with Jesus Christ and was led to Kadesh Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Williams and then Bishop Gregory Foster Sr. As she continued growing in her faith, she became a loyal choir member and diligent deacons’ wife. Emma attended Northwestern High School in Detroit, Michigan. She had a love for basketball and played on the girls’ basketball team during her high school experience. She would later start her career as a dietician with Northwest General Hospital for many years. In this role Emma served others with her expertise in nutrition and healthy eating. Emma was joined in holy matrimony with Cleveland Henry Ball until his death. To this union three children were born: Lawrence, Nearlean, and Doris. Emma and Cleveland created a supportive environment and raised their children to love and care for each other and others. Emma had a love for a variety of sports; however, her passion was basketball and bowling. You could find her on any given day sitting in her favorite chair searching the channels to find an NBA game. To know Emma was to love Emma, she would cut you with the truth and heal the cut with a joke to make you laugh. But this was always done out of love. Her ability to get the crowd going with her sense of humor, her outgoing personality, and fun-loving dance moves was infectious. She dressed with style and class and was the life of any event she attended. Emma transitioned from temporal life into eternal life on March 31, 2024. She was preceded in death by: her parents Jacob and Lillian Archer; her loving husband Cleveland H. Ball; her daughter Nearlean Cottrell; her sisters, Dorothy Archer, Betty Archer, Mary Louise Bryant (Archer), Lottie Mae Bryant (Archer); her brothers, Bennie, Ozell, Nathanael, Emmit, and Estes Archer. She leaves to cherish her memories: her son Lawrence Archer (Sheila); her daughter Doris Borns (Robert); her sister Lillian Bolden; twelve grandchildren; a host of great-grandchildren and great-great- grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, church family and friends.

Mrs. Emma Jean Ball

November 17, 1934 - March 21, 2024