John Paul Ballif

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCR-K8M
• Initiatory (LDS): 31 Aug 1926, SLAKE

Notes:

Obituary:
Howard Maurice Ballif 1907 ~ 2008 Howard was born September 21, 1907 , i n Preston, Idaho to Barbara Paul and Louis Henry Ballif. He passed aw ay o n March 6, 2008, in Sandy, Utah. Howard was the youngest of nine chi ldren .

He attended BYU and graduated from the University of Idaho, Magna Cum La u d. He served an LDS mission to Germany. He married Madge Peterson in 19 33 . He was the business manager of the Idaho Statesman newspaper in Bois e , Idaho for 26 years, and he was a CPA.

After retirement, he and Madge served a mission for the LDS Church Build i ng Department in Sacramento, California and Montevideo, Uruguay. He ret ir ed from the LDS Church Finance Department.

Always faithful to the LDS Church, he served nine years in the Bishopr i c and 17 years in the Stake Presidency of the Boise, Idaho Stake. He al s o was a temple ordinance worker in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.

He is survived by his children: H. Maurice (Pauline), Howard Barr (Rowen a ), Margot Moore (Larry), and John Paul (Donna), as well as 25 grandchil dr en, 53 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. He wa s pre ceded in death by his wife, Madge, a grandson, Mark, and a great-gr andson , Tyler.

A viewing will be held on Wednesday, March 12th from 6-8 p.m. an d pri o r to the services on Thursday, March 13th, from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. Ser vi ces will follow at 11:00. All will be held at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1 95 0 East 10600 South in Sandy, Utah.

Howard married Madge Heppler Peterson on 21 Mar 1933 in Manti, Sanpete, Utah, United States. Madge (daughter of James Morten Peterson and Louisiana Carrie Heppler) was born on 21 Apr 1906 in Richfield, Sevier, Utah, United States; was christened on 1 Jul 1906 in Richfield, Sevier, Utah, United States; died on 30 Jan 1999 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States; was buried on 2 Feb 1999 in Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery, Sandy, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCR-K8S
• Initiatory (LDS): 5 Jul 1929, MANTI

Notes:

Madge Heppler Peterson Ballif was born April 21, 1906, in Richfield, Sev i er County, Utah. She was not the first child born in her family. Ther e wa s a boy, whom her mother carried full time, but who died at his birt h bec ause of the lack of hospital facilities and the inexperience of doc tors i n those days. Her mother gave birth to eleven children, two died i n infan cy and nine are still living at this date, November 1, 1987. He r father , James Morten Peterson, was the owner of the J. M. Peterson Ban k in Rich field. He was born July 12, 1879 at Richfield, Utah. Louisian a Carrie Hep pler Peterson was born at Glenwood, Utah, July 6, 1883. The y were marrie d in the Salt Lake Temple, November 18, 1903.
Madge's first recollection of being was the day her sister, Leah, was bo r n. The small family was living in the new home at 115 West Center in Ri ch field at the time. She remembers a happy household. Her childhood day s we re carefree and loving. Theirs was one of the prominent families i n town . All of the members of the family had musical talent which they i nherite d from Mama, as they called their mother. They also developed dan cing, ac ting and' athletic tendencies. Madge began singing for church an d civic f unctions early and remembers standing on a chair to be seen a s she sang a t church. She attended grade school and high school in Richf ield except f or her Junior Year. Tn that year she and her cousin, Alta H ansen, went t o the L. D. S. High School in Salt Lake so that they coul d be near the or thodontist who was supervising the straightening of thei r teeth. It was a n interesting year for two young, naive girls who lef t home at such an ea rly age. They were often homesick and missed their f amilies very much. Th ey went back to Richfield for their senior year an d were graduated from h igh school in 1924.
After graduating from high school, Madge went to the B.Y.U. at Provo. Th e re were 1500 students at the college, not as many as a small high scho o l these days. However, it was the starting of a new and exciting life . Un a, her first sister, came with her in her Junior Year and they spen t tw o years living together while they were going to classes, singing fo r th e Program Bureau and enjoying the social life on the campus. When Ma dge g raduated in the Spring of 1928, she was prepared to be a teacher i n P.E. , Drama, Music, and English. She taught one year in Parowan. The n Madge a nd Una went on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latt er Day Sai nts to the Northwestern States Mission under president Willia m R. Sloan . Their father had been on a mission before he was married, bu t he didn' t believe much in missions for girls. When the bishop asked Ma dge to go , her Papa felt she should stay home to get married because sh e was 23 ye ars old. They decided that if Una could go with her, they wou ld stay onl y one Year instead of Madge's going for two years. Then she w ouldn't be s o old when she returned. So, in July of 1929, the two girl s left for Port land, Oregon. It was another wonderful experience for Mad ge, "an educatio n in itself and I will ever be thankful for those days i n the mission fie ld, where my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospe l and the knowledg e of the only true church was made known to me.”

During her mission and for a time after she returned, Madge wrote to se v eral Young men. One was Howard Ballif from Whitney, Idaho who had atten de d the 'Y' one year that she was there. He had also been on a mission t o t he Swiss-German Mission. When he returned from his mission he attende d th e University of Idaho at Moscow, Idaho. Madge and Una were companion s i n Spokane, Washington when Howard wrote to Madge and said, "Don't yo u wis h you weren't on your mission or you could come to Moscow to a form al Sig ma Chi dance?" A few days later, president Sloan came to town an d Madge m entioned the dance. He said "You can't go, you're on a mission . However , r can give you a 3 day leave of absence and I have a job fo r you in Mos cow. I've known Howard Ballif's parents for quite some tim e and he's jus t the man for you to marry."
Madge wasn't so sure of that but she did want to go to the dance. So, s h e wrote to Howard and was off to Moscow while Una held down the Mission ar y Fort in Spokane. Madge had a wonderful time and remembers having t o tra ct in house shoes when she returned to Spokane because attending t hree d ances had worn blisters on her feet since she wasn't used to tha t activit y at the time.

When they returned from their missions in the Spring of 1931, Una wen t t o work in the bank and Madge taught seminary in the Junior High Schoo l i n Richfield. In the summer of 1932, she hadn't yet found the man sh e want ed to marry. Howard, who had graduated from the University by the n travel led to Richfield to visit her and she decided that he was the on e she ha d been looking for all along. By Spring they decided to get marr ied. On M arch 21, 1933, Madge's Papa drove them to the Manti Temple. Fir st, they h ad to return to the house to get the marriage license and the n because th ey were hurrying and because it was raining, the car slid of f the road in to a barrow pit. Howard had to get out of the car into th e rain and wal k through the rain and mud to get a farmer to help them. T he farmer hitch ed a team of horses to the car to pull it out.

The Bank had just closed on March 3 and Madge couldn't get the $50 she h a d saved. So, her Papa gave her $20 and her Mama went through her ceda r ch est to give her some bedding and linin. That was the sum total of he r tro usseau. They drove off in Howard's father's car to Preston with th e sli m chance of a job in Boise in the back of their minds. They both th ough t that Howard would be working in the family store in Whitney. Sinc e it w as right in the middle of the Depression, a Bachelor’s Degree in A ccounti ng from the U of I did not help a lot in getting a job.

It was a very snowy March and they remember snow piled as high as the r o of of the car as they went from Logan to Preston. When they arrived i n Pr eston, there was a telegram from J.W. Condie, the Idaho State Superi ntend ent of public instruction, saying that I there might be a job for H owar d in Boise. They boarded the train for an overnight trip to Boise. A fte r arriving in Boise and paying for a nights lodging in the Owyhee Hot el , they were down I to their last few dollars. They got a phone call fr o m Ezra Taft Benson who was the U.S. Government Agricultural Extension A ge nt in Boise. He knew Howard from Preston. He asked, "Do you have a pla c e to live?” When he learned that they didn't, he came over to drive th e m around to find a place to rent. Madge remembers looking at one plac e th at was advertised as having a bathroom which was one main room wit h a toi let in the closet, a small bedroom, and the bathtub was under th e kitche n table. They laugh m about that today and are glad that they go t a plac e with a real bathroom. They did get the job for which they ha d come to B oise. It paid $150 a month and they thought that was grand. T hey had to p ay $15 to a political party because it was a political job b ut they wer e very grateful for anything because of the hard times. Afte r budgeting t heir money carefully, they often had just a few cents left . They saved 25 $ every paycheck and that left nothing for entertainmen t so their main so urce of fun was attending tent revival meetings. The y did without a car f or several years. When they finally bought their fi rst 2nd hand car, a Na sh, they couldn't pay the $268 in cash so for th e first and last time the y made payments on a car. They were proud of th at car, of course, and wer e quite disappointed one day at a public even t when a policeman came up a nd told them to "get this old wreck out of h ere”.

This was just the beginning of a beautiful family experience. Madge an d H oward loved each other very much and tried their best to make each ot he r happy. They put the Gospel principles and their work in the Church f irs t. Their days in Boise were a continuation of their mission activitie s. T he "Church needed a lot of help in those days of growth and they acc epte d the call that came to them and fulfilled them to the best of thei r abil ity. They remember well when the First Ward mi Chapel was built. T he prop erty was purchased at a tax sale for $1250. The building site wa s that o f an old brewery and Howard remembers one of his friends puttin g his shov el in the ground and discovering the old brewery cellar. The C hapel was b uilt at a total cost of $62,000. The family members have man y fond memor ies of the Chapel. Howard served 9½ years in the bishopric o f the Boise F irst Ward and 14½ years as a counselor in the Boise Stake P residency.

Madge was music director for the Ward primary, counselor in the YWMIA St a te presidency, Stake Dance Director, Stake Music Director, Ward Reli e f Society President, and member of the Relief Society Stake Board. As S ta ke Dance Director, she put on Stake Gold and Green Balls for seven yea rs . They were very big productions which gained a reputation for being g al a events. People would come from out of town to attend. She even had p eop le ask months before the dance, when it would be. There were floor sh ows , Royalty, and of course, lots of wonderful dancing.

During this same era, Madge sang for funerals in the different funeral h o mes, and for non-Mormon churches on Sunday morning. She can remember si ng ing lots of sectarian songs for non-Mormon services and funerals. Sh e rem embers as Stake Music Director, discussing with Stake President Ben son th e fact that some of the ward choirs, which she had helped to organ ize, so metime sang sectarian songs. President Benson told her an emphati c "No, t hose songs should not be sung in our meetings". When the new Chu rch Hym n Book came out in 1985. President Benson, now President of the C hurch, w as in her ward in Salt Lake. Madge smiled to herself when the co ngregatio n sang a sectarian song which had been banned earlier, but wa s now in th e hymn book.
Four children were born to Madge and Howard: H. Maurice, April 2, 1934 ; H oward Barr, July 29, 1938; Margot Nan, November 25, 1940; and John Pa ul , December 28, 1943. About 1941, they decided that they needed a new h ous e. They bought a lot on Warm Springs Avenue and then began making arr ange ments for the house. Their application for a loan was turned down be caus e they were only making $175 a month. Very disappointed, they decide d t o give up their house plans. When Howard's boss asked how their plan s wer e going and heard that they couldn't qualify for a loan, he arrange d fo r a raise to $200 a month so that they could get their loan. So, th e hous e building began, and what a grand home they made. In 1952, they d ecide d to add a family room and kitchenette to complete the edifice. Th e nex t 23 years were good ones in the family home. The children remembe r thei r mother as a meticulous housekeeper. She attributes some of the o rderlin ess to her 'best cleaner', Howard. They remember good food such a s the "b read drawer" and "roll drawer" (Barr); mayonnaise and sugar sand wiches an d peanut butter and onion sandwiches (Maury). Another favorite , was the S unday meal of pot roast in a roaster with potatoes and carrot s (Margot an d John Paul). In the Fall, Howard would help Madge get the p eaches into t he jars before he went to work and the children would wak e to the smell o f processing peaches. Bottled peaches was a favorite o f everyone. The chi ldren remember wash day on Monday, a long hard work d ay because of the su d saver and using the water more than once. Clothe s were sprinkled Monda y night or Tuesday morning and Tuesday was ironin g day. Madge was never e xtravagant with clothes, either her own or the c hildren's. They dressed w ell because she took care of the clothing, mend ing, and darning and getti ng all the use out of the clothing. The boys r emember that mother never d id yard work. She encouraged the boys to do i t because they needed the wo rk and she didn't. Table manners were import ant in their home. Howard alw ays cut and served the meat and Madge dishe d up the rest of the meal. Th e children learned good table manners by ex ample. It was very important t o Madge that correct English be spoken i n their home. She always correcte d improper English that was spoken, a h abit which she got from her father . Madge was very good at caring for th e family members when they were sic k. Between some good old fashioned ho me remedies and being willing to spe nd lots of time with the sick person , she was able to pull them through m any illnesses, some serious ones.

Howard started working for the Statesman Newspaper in 1939. He worked t h ere for 24 years. In 1944 Madge and Howard started a business in whic h th ey made a product called Pronto Pups. It was a wiener on a stick, di ppe d in a special batter and deep fried. During the war, they did a boom in g business in a little shop on the docks of Bremerton, Washington. The y u sed to sell 2000 pronto Pups every lunch time. The Government had a p ric e freeze on some items and they could only charge $.15 a Pup. They fe lt t hey needed a quarter so they sued the Government. It didn't do any g ood . The business tapered off after the war but they continued to do th e Pro nto Pups every August when the Western Idaho State Fair came to tow n. The re was many a long hour spent in the Fair booth but again many fon d memor ies.

Another business which they got involved in was a mortuary. As was stat e d earlier, Madge sang for many funerals. Because of their leadership re sp onsibilities, Madge and Howard often, had to prepare bodies of membe r fo r burial in their temple clothes. They were often ridiculed by the n on-Mo rmon people who ran the funeral homes. So, they got the idea of sta rtin g their own funeral home. Russell Relyea, who had been involved wit h th e Pronto Pups went to mortician's school in California and when he r eturn ed to town, they set up shop. It was a small shop and they had to d o a lo t of setting up and taking down of equipment in order to do all th e thing s necessary for a funeral. It was very hard to break into the fun eral bus iness and one of the prominent directors went to Howard's boss a t the Sta tesman and used his influence to force Howard to have to choos e between h is job at the newspaper and his new business. He decided to s tay with th e paper but he just transferred his mortuary stock to Russel l Relyea an d they had a verbal agreement that they were still partners . Howard jus t did the books on the side till the situation blew over an d he was abl e to have a long and prosperous association with Relyea Mort uary.
In August of 1962 major changes began to take place. They began with. Ma r got's marriage to Lawrence Moore Jr. Aug. 23, 1962. Within six months , th ere were two more marriages, Maury's to Pauline Richardson, Jan. 25, 1963 ; and Barr's to Rowena Davidson. March 1, 1963; John Paul left on h is mis sion to the Great Lakes: and the newspaper was sold to a company i n the E ast so Howard started his own C.P.A. office. In 1964, Howard an d Madge we re called on a mission for the building department of the Chur ch to go t o Sacramento, California. John Paul came home from his missio n and soon m arried Donna Nelson, Aug. 7, 1965. The day after their weddi ng, Howard an d Madge returned to California to find a call from Salt Lak e asking the m to go to South America for the Financial Department of th e Church, sinc e the building mission status had Changed. They spent fift een months in M ontevideo, Uruguay. They found it to be a marvelous exper ience. In Januar y of 1967 they were transferred to Salt Lake to finish t heir three-year m ission in the Finance Department of the Church. They re turned to Boise i n October of 1967, sold their home and moved to Salt La ke where Howard we nt to work for the Church as Assistant Disbursing Offi cer of the Church . They bought a duplex at 1774 Laurelhust Dr. in the Mo nument Park Eleven th Ward. They enjoyed living there and made many frien d ships. They live d there from January 1968 until September 15, 1976 whe n they sold the dup lex and bought a condominium at 123 2nd Ave. in Canyo n Road Tower Howar d retired at age 67 and they are both working in the S alt Lake Temple a t this time. Madge has been there since Aug. 1968 a s a receptionist and a s ordinance worker since Apr. 1977. Howard began t he temple work in Feb . 1978. Their work there together has been very ins pirational and satisfy ing. They have 25 grandchildren, 22 of whom live i n Salt Lake City. Thei r three older boys with their families are there n ow. Margot, with her th ree children, still lives in Boise. There is on e great grandchild, Tracy' s, there. The boys all served missions and al l four children were marrie d in the temple.


Madge and Howard's hope and prayer for those who come after them is th a t the knowledge of their life will be a testimony of the truthfulnes s o f the Gospel and that happiness comes through staying true to the pri ncip les thereof and being active in the church work. This knowledge ha s bee n the underlying truth that has determined their course throughou t thei r lives. They know that it can do the same for the lives of thei r childre n and grandchildren if they will work at it. Their hope for the mselves i s that they will endure to the end and be worthy to be reunite d as a fami ly in the Kingdom of Heaven.
-Here is a post script to the entry for Madge Heppler Peterson Ballif-

Howard and I went many places together. We went to Chicago with the new s paper. It was really nice and we bought many things for us and our fami ly . We also went to New York. We took the kids to Yellowstone National P ar k one year, also. It seems that all they wanted to do was go swimming . I n 1974, we went with the BYU to Israel. It was a wonderful trip and w e fe lt very close to the Savior; saw the things He saw and went the plac es H e went. We felt closer to him after that experience. We went to Ne w Zeala nd and Australia on a tour, too. We got many things there and sa w many th ings.
I went on many outings with my mother and my six sisters. Then after m y m other died in 1971,1 still went with my sisters many places. There ar e ma ny pictures of our outings together. As I got older, Howard and I co ntinu ed to go places with all of them. We had fun at our many reunions.
In May of 1972, we had a nice reunion with all the kids. It was in conju n ction with my family in Bloomington. We all had condominiums there in B lo omington. We had a good time. We also went to Bryce Canyon, Zions Cany on , and some other interesting places.
In 1987, we went to Florida with John Paul and Donna. We went to Disne y W orld first. We had a wonderful time. We went to Disney World, or rath er E pcot Center and did all the wonderful things there. A highlight of t he vi sit was a visit to Germany. We had a dinner there and it was wonder ful. W e went to Nassau and other islands around there on a ship, The Car nival L ines. We also traveled around the state a bit. It was a fun trip . We wen t back in 1992, for our last trip. We went to visit Bobette an d Glendon t his time. They have a beautiful place there. While we were go ne, Maury, o ur son came down with cancer of the stomach. It was a bad ti me but he liv ed through it with some minor problems.
In 1989, we went home to Boise with the three boys and their wives. It w a s the time that Kelly came home from his mission. It was a reunion. W e ha d a lovely time and we took a special picture of it. It will be in t he pi cture section.
Our time in the condominium was nice. We got together with the childre n f rom time to time. Our favorite thing to do was to go to dinner with t hem . We went altogether sometimes, and sometimes we went with one coupl e alo ne. We finish our work in the temple in. We continued our attendanc e at c hurch for a while. Finally, we had some problem and the last two y ears we re not very pleasant. I didn’t want to go and leave Howard, bu t I finall y had to.
As was said earlier, I had a full life. Howard and I were together alway s . I left with the idea that God is our Father, that His Son, Jesus Chri st , is the Savior of the world and that He did die for me. I also believ e t hat the Holy Ghost is real, that Joseph Smith restored the Gospel an d tra nslated the Book of Mormon. I know that the Church of Jesus Chris t is th e only true church and that Gordon B. Hinckley is a true and livi ng Proph et today. I know that I’ll live with Howard, and that our childr en will b e with us.
(This is a copy of a talk you mother gave in the sacrament meeting of t h e Salt Lake Ensign Stake 18th Ward, February 5, 1978 when we were assig ne d by the bishopric to give the program in the meeting. Madge also sa n g a solo ”I Come To Thee" and it was beautifully cone, as only she ca n si ng, and many people congratulated her.—H.M.B.)

(Madge P. Ballif 2/3/1976)

Both Howard and I served full-time mission before we were married and ha v e been on another full-time mission together since our children were ma rr ied. But we have always felt that the most important mission we had wa s t he one we experienced without a formal call from the Authorities, n o form al mission organization—only the feeling of accomplishing somethin g ver y worthwhile and happiness in the work of help­ing to build up th e kingdo m and assisting with the progress of the Church in Boise Stake.

We arrived in Boise the day after we were married, right in the middl e o f the depression in the Spring of 1933. We only knew 2 people—brothe r Joh n W. Condie, who was instrumental in helping Howard to find a Job i n Bois e. Brother Condie was then the State Superintendent of Public Inst ructio n for Idaho. The other person we knew was brother Ezra T. Benson , who wa s the Agricultural Extension Agent for Idaho. "T” as we called h im, i s a cousin of Howard's and the three of us were at the "Y” during h is sen ior year. Brother Benson was kind enough to help us find a small o ne-roo m apart­ment not far from the State House, where Howard was goin g to wor k in the State Land Department.

There were two small wards in Boise at that time, and we were in the Fir s t Ward which met in a little white church with one large room, a pot-be ll ied stove stood in the comer and wires were strung across the celling , o n which curtains were drawn to separate the classes for Sunday School . W e had a foot pedal organ and an old fash­ioned, big piano. Not many f acil ities, but an enthusiastic, though small, congregation of willing wo rkers .

I became the Ward Primary Music Director, and Howard went into the Sta k e MIA Presidency with brother Del White, the president. We had not see n D el for some years after they moved from Boise, and were so pleased t o fin d him and Ruby moving into the condominium the same day that we mov ed in.

There was considerable prejudice on the part of the townspeople agains t t he Church in 1933. I had always thought that Idaho was, to a large ex tent , Mormon and 1 suppose that was true with the towns and cities on th e Uta h border and up the east­ern aide into Idaho Falls, but the greate r perce ntage of Idaho was non-Mormon, and it seemed to us, desired to re main so . Boise was no exception and we found several church friends wh o would no t openly state their religious views for fear of losing thei r Jobs. The n ewspapers were ever ready to report sane derogatory story o r news item o f something in which the Mormons happened to be involved. S ome of our sch ool teachers were not offered jobs and the possibility o f being elected t o public office in that area was quite remote.

The Boise Stake was large in area, if not in numbers. It extended from G l ens Ferry on the South to Huntington, Oregon on the Northwest, sane 13 0 m iles, with about 3,500 members. So, there was much traveling to be do ne b y the stake officers & boards.

But new people started to move in and soon a new church was built, rig h t in the heart of the city and Howard went into the new bishopric, an d al so changed jobs from the State to the Statesman Newspapers. This cha nge t urned out to be a blessing to the church situation, as well as to u s pers onally. The paper had been very anti-Mormon In Its beginning a s I mention ed before, and Howard felt very reluctant to be a par6 of tha t, though h e was to be the business manager, and as such would have noth ing to do wi th setting the policies of the news Items. He went to the ow ner and tol d her that there was something that had to be understood befo re he coul d accept the position. He said he was an active Mormon and int ended to b e such, no matter where he worked and if this would make a dif ference, h e had better not accept the position. He was assured that al l would be we ll and he later found one other member among the employee s .

About this time the MIA was having its Gold and Green Balls, and we ha d s ome beautiful extravaganzas with queens, attendants, floor show and s o fo rth; and the public was invited to join us. I became a member of th e MI A Stake Board as activity counselor and dance director and the pape r sen t their photographer to take pictures and report on the activity. T he pub licity became very favorable and other activities of our church, s uch a s Stakes Conferences, changes in bishoprics and other church news , were p ublished.

Brother Benson was then chosen to be Stake President and I was asked t o b e stake chorister with the assignment of seeing that a choir was orga nize d in every new ward. We had lost most of the far places of the Stak e an d by the time Brother Benson left for Washington D. C. for his assig nmen t in the President’s Cabinet, we had 13 wards In Boise—Meridian—Moun tai n Home and Eagle. Several new stakes had been formed from the countr y o n the North and South. Howard had been In the First Ward Bishopric fo r mo re than nine years and was asked to be a counselor to the new stak e presi dent and I went back to the First Ward to be the Relief Society P resident .

The church was really growing—new people were coming into Boise with n e w jobs and our people were active on community boards and councils; he l d government positions and ran for state offices. We had seminaries a t bo th high schools and an institute at the college where the LDS studen ts we re outstanding in scholarship and activities, and athletics.

There was a great need for a Mormon mortuary in Boise, so we were Instr u mental In helping to establish a Mormon mortuary, which proved to b e a gr eat blessing to the members of the Church in Boise. Up until then , the Re lief Society and the Priesthood were called to the mortuaries t o dress ou r people in their temple clothes for burial and I heard the sn ide remark s that were made behind our backs, when I sang for many ' non- Mormon fune rals at the several mortuaries.

Howard had served l4fc years in the Stake Presidency, when we were cal l ed on our second formal mission, this time together, first to Californ i a and then to South America, where we lived In Montevideo, Uruguay. Thi rt y-two years we had lived In Boise; had four children—3 sons who all we n t on missions and 1 daughter, all of who attended the, tY’ and were mar ri ed in the temple. There are now 21 precious grandchildren, 11 of the m ar e here; the other 10 live too far away to attend.

We haven’t lived in Boise since Christmas Day 1964, but our daughter a n d her family are there, as are many old friends from our first years, a n d we visit as often as possible. The Church is still making progress a n d many people are being converted to the Gospel and Boise has ___Stake s n ow, just in the city.

We were happy to have been In the Lord's mission field during our lif e i n Boise and to have witnessed the growth of the Church there, and t o hav e had a small part In the various activities. I'm sure it was our g reates t mission and we were fortunate to be In the right place at the ri ght tim e when we could be of service.

The Gospel and its teachings have been our whole life and we have fou n d in them the answers to our questions, and the inspiration for whatev e r decisions and choices we have had to make .
May the Lord bless us all in our righteous endeavors and give us streng t h to keep His commandments and endure to the end, is my prayer….

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCR-J32
• Initiatory (LDS): 25 Sep 1895, SLAKE

Louis married Barbara Paul on 25 Sep 1895 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. Barbara (daughter of James Patten Paul and Elizabeth Evans) was born on 30 Oct 1873 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States; died on 14 Mar 1964 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCR-J3L
• Initiatory (LDS): 25 Sep 1895, SLAKE

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWCH-LJB
• Initiatory (LDS): 6 Mar 1901, SLAKE

James married Louisiana Carrie Heppler on 18 Nov 1903 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. Louisiana was born on 6 Jul 1882 in Glenwood, Sevier, Utah, United States; died on 16 Jul 1970 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States; was buried on 18 Jul 1970 in Richfield City Cemetery, Sevier, Utah, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJZ-CJK
• Initiatory (LDS): 18 Nov 1903, SLAKE

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWNB-FT5
• Initiatory (LDS): 10 Feb 1858, EHOUS
• Census: 1860, Logan, Cache, Utah, United States

Notes:

Pioneer
Robert L. Campbell Company (1854)
Age at departure: 33
397 individuals were in the company when it began its journey from t h e o u tfitting post at Westport, Missouri.


History of Serge Louis Ballif

Serge Louis Ballif was born on April 17, 1821 in Perroy, Vaud, Switzerla n d the son of Jean Francois Frederic Ballif and Henriette Louise Clermon d e Susanne Alexandrine Begue. The Ballif family was an upperclass wealt h y and influential Vaudois family, especially with their legacy as Prote st ant preachers in the Lausanne Cathedral. Jean Francois Frederic wa s a ca ptain in the Swiss Army and served in Russia under the duc de Rich elieu . Serge’s mother died when he was only fourteen years old, and hi s fathe r shortly after Serge’s first marriage. As a youth Serge was ref ined an d well educated in both Switzerland and Russia. He became fluen t in Fren ch, German, Italian, and Russian and could read Latin, Greek an d Hebrew . Serge became a well respected Protestant minister at the Laus anne Cath ederal.

While working in Russia in 1849, Serge met and married a Swiss travele r , Elise Marie LeCoultre. When Elise was about to give birth to their f ir st child, they hired a governess to help. Her name was Henriette Jean net te Vuffray. She was a hard working, devoted, and loving woman who wo ul d later become Serge’s second wife. Henriette was born on May 7, 183 4 i n Morges, Switzerland the daughter of Marc Jean Francois Vuffray an d Susa nne Marie Porchet.

In the fall of 1851 the missionary Thomas B. H. Stenhouse came to Lausan n e from Geneva where he had received a cold welcome. That same year th e L ausanne city council passed a law forbidding Mormons to hold public m eeti ngs. In 1852 after secret meetings held in the basement of the Laus ann e Cathedral, Serge was converted by Brother Stenhouse to the truthful nes s of Christ’s restored church. Serge left his family legacy of the P rote stant faith behind and was baptized a member of the LDS church in La ke Ge neva in 1852. His conversion shook the entire city of Lausanne bec ause o f his high position, and the newspaper dedicated a full page to th e proce edings of his excommunication.

The large home which Serge had aquired by his grandfather, the Protesta n t Reverend Jean Francois Louis Ballif had earlier been a meeting plac e fo r their religious get togethers and now was used as a meeting plac e for t he small group of Mormons in Lausanne. The home is still standin g and i s located around the corner from the Cathedral and across the str eet fro m the Academy, the forerunner of the present-day University of La usanne . Serge took in Brother Stenhouses wife and children as he preache d a s a missionary, housed the local missionaries on the third floor, fin ance d the printing of Mormon literature in French, and paid for the publ icati on ‘Le Reflecteur’ which spread the message of Mormonism in French -Switz erland. Soon after his conversion, Serge left Lausanne in 1853 t o serv e a mission in Basel and Neuchatel, Switzerland and baptized thre e famili es. The missionaries in Switzerland came across much oppostitio n, and ma ny were beaten and stoned by the locals .

Serge was so absolutely devoted to the truthfulness of the church tha t h e was willing to give up all his resources and his status for the ne w fai th. In 1854 Serge took his wife, three children and their governes s Henr iette along with other converts, to America to join the Saints i n Utah . It was a sad journey as his daughter died and was buried at sea . Notw ithstanding the hardships, they arrived in New Orleans in May o f 1854. T hey reached Salt Lake after a difficult journey on October 28 , 1854.

Upon arriving in the Valley, Serge settled on some land near Big Cottonw o od Canyon where he could look up at the mountains and remember Switzerl an d. On February 8, 1857 Serge married Henriette as his second wife. T oge ther they had ten children between 1858 and 1878, four of whom died y oung . Serge joined the bretheren to defend Utah when Johnston’s Army t hreat ened to invade. After the incident was over, he took his familie s and se ttled in Logan, Utah which was green, lush and rugged and remind ed the fa mily of Switzerland. In Logan Serge took up the trade of farmi ng. In 18 60 he was called on a mission to his home land of Switzerland . When he l eft he only had thirty- eight cents in his pocket and signe d as a crewma n on a Europe bound vessel from New York. Upon his retur n he was in char ge of a company of emigrating Saints to Utah. In 1862 S erge served as le ader of the German speaking Saints in Logan .

In 1872 Serge’s wife Elise died leaving Henriette to raise her survivi n g seven children along with her own totaling thirteen children, with ma n y of the children overlapping in age. Henriette was a woman of stron g co nstitution and provided the physical strength and loving devotion t o rais e and nurture a large family. In 1879 Serge was called to return t o Switz erland as President of the Swiss-German mission. During this mis sion o n a trip to Berlin, he was jailed as a result of his missionary ac tivites . He returned to Logan leading another company of Saints in 188 1 and liv ed the remainder of his years there, but always continued to ha ve a kee n interest in the events taking place in Switzerland. Serge co ntinued t o preside over the German group in Logan and also was a preside nt of hi s quorum of seventy. He passed away on April 25, 1901 and was b uried i n the Logan Cemetery.

Serge was remembered by his grandchildren as a refined gentleman who w a s kind and understanding of children. One of his grandchildren throug h h is wife Elise was the LDS Prophet Ezra Taft Benson. Serge always spo ke F rench with his children, and even sat one grandson up on a kitchen t able , putting pebbles in his mouth and patiently teaching him how to mak e th e proper sounds in order to speak French. At some point Henriette e ithe r moved to or was visiting in Preston, Idaho where she died on Octob er 16 , 1924, surviving Serge twenty-three years. Henriette was buried b y Serg e in the Logan Cemetery.




"The Ballif home in Lausanne, Switzerland. Missionaries moved into th e t hird floor of this home, being spared much hardship by the kindness o f th e Ballifs." Copied from the August Ensign 1982 page 42 & 43.
In the same Ensign article it says "Serge Louis Ballif and his wife, Eli s e.[refering to photos which are already in the photos memories]. A wea lt hy man, Brother Ballif gave of his money freely to support the mission ari es and publish tracts and newsletters. He served as a local missiona ry , baptized several families, and then emigrated to America. He late r ret urned to Switzerland as a missionary in 1860, and as a mission pres iden t from 1879 to 1881. His son, Serge Frederick, served as presiden t of th e Swiss and German Mission from 1905 to 1909, and from 1921 to 19 23."

Serge married Henriette Jeanette Vuffray on 8 Feb 1857 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. Henriette (daughter of Marc Jean Francois Vuffray and Susanne Marie Porchet) was born on 7 May 1834 in Vufflens-le-Château, Morges, Vaud, Suisse; died on 16 Oct 1924 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried on 19 Oct 1924 in Logan City Cemetery, Cache, Utah, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWNB-FTR
• Initiatory (LDS): 1 Mar 1974, SGEOR

Notes:

Converted to the church in Switzerland. Came to America in 1854 and marr i ed in the Salt Lake Temple as the second wife of Serge Louis Ballif.


Henriette is the daugheter of Marc Jean Francois Vuffray (Vuffrey) and S u sanne Marie Prochet. She was born in Morges, Vaud, Switzerland .

She traveled to America as the governess to her future husband Serge a n d his wife Elise in 1854. They settled in Logan, Utah .

Serge and Henriette married in 1857 and had ten children .

Henriette died in Preston, Idaho but is buried next to her husband Ser g e in the Logan Cemetery.

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWNB-FY8
• Initiatory (LDS): 29 Nov 1861, EHOUS

James married Elizabeth Evans on 25 Oct 1862 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. Elizabeth was born on 22 Mar 1833 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England; died on 17 Jan 1923 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States; was buried on 20 Jan 1923 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWNB-FYZ
• Initiatory (LDS): 25 Oct 1862, EHOUS