In Memoriam

Dennis Ball

Messages with comments and recollections from Alan Thurston:

May 7, 2020

. . . Do you think those children who died in elementary school should be included In Memoriam since, had they lived, they very likely would have been members of the class of '66? I am thinking particularly of . . . 

. . . Dennis Ball, with whom I attended Charlotte Cross from K-2nd grade. He died, along with several family members, in a horrific house fire. Dennis was a handsome tow-haired boy who impressed me with his ability to jump over a chair.

 

May 11, 2020

. . . I remember the fire occurred when I was in the third grade at Belknap, so it would have to have been either 1956 or '57. It was, understandably, a huge story at that time . . .

I still remember my teacher, Mrs. Kemp, telling the class about the tragedy. I also recall going to her desk and telling her that Dennis had been a classmate of mine at Charlotte Cross. She gave me her condolences . . .

 

May 11, 2020

It was November 19, 1956 . . . Along with Dennis, his parents Linus and Hilda Ball and his brothers Arthur and Frank also perished. They are buried at Saint Patrick's Cemetery. Another brother, Ronald, died at the age of 10 in August of 1955. One family--so much tragedy!

I remember reading at the time that 2 of Dennis's sisters survived. They were led to safety by their father who then went back into the house in an attempt to save the other family members.

 

May 11, 2020

. . . The girls, Elaine and Karen, were sleeping in an upstairs bedroom. Elaine, who was 15, was awakened by her father who was yelling from the first floor. She saved Karen, who was 5, by jumping with her from the roof of the house.

Ronald died due to spinal disease.

My father knew Linus. I remember driving by the site of the fire. All that remained were two posts. I recall my mother saying that she had last seen Hilda hanging the family clothes out to dry on the posts.

 

May 15, 2020

. . . What a wonderful way to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Michael's passing...And to remember Dennis who died in what is described on the internet as the worst fire in Lockport township history.



 
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05/15/20 11:55 AM #1    

Alan Thurston

A Big Mahalo to Chris Dix for his kind and enthusiastic support!! 

It is hard to understand why some families suffer such tragedy, while others thrive.  I recall JFK saying at one of his press conferences that "Life is not fair."

As I wrote to Chris previously, I believe that Michael and Dennis are smiling as they look down from Heaven, happy that they have not been forgotten.

 


05/15/20 12:06 PM #2    

Robert Wilson

Denny was my best friend and next door neighbor. We used to have "pots and pans" parades between our 2 houses on East High Street. Denny used to help me feed my calves and I helped him feed his pigs. The whole Ball family was a huge part of my life. The night of the fire was such a horrific event. I remember waking up and seeing it at 4:00 in the morning. So sad and I will miss my friend always! Bobby Wilson


05/15/20 09:58 PM #3    

Allan Weseman

I attended John Pound school from kindergarden through 5th grade.  Mrs. Brady (Tim Brady's Mom) was both my second and third grade teacher and I remember the fire that killed someone in my class, but I didn't remember the name.  I DID remember that we all got together and decided to get a memorial picture that was hung in the school hall and I still remember it as one where a youngster was watching a blacksmith work in his shop.  I have run into seeing that same iconic picture several times in my life and remember that it was someone in my third grade class who died in a fire.  Dennis Ball

     In 1984 was another fire that killed a good friend.  Geoff Flynn and I used to ride 2-stroke Yamaha motorcycles through the Boston Hills south of Buffalo all the time.  I moved to Florida in 1979, but I regularly called Geoff to see how he was doing.  He his wife Marcia (Johnson) and 2 year old baby were living in a house on High street two doors west of where Gary Aiken lived on the corner of Beattie.  I fire in the living room blackened the interior showing little signs of a fire outside but took the life of all three of them.  Two weeks previous to the fire I returned to Lockport for a visit and saw Geoff.  I'll never forget he told me he had a premonition that something really big was going to happen soon.  -  Allan Weseman


06/13/20 12:08 AM #4    

Chris Dix

Comment posted on the What's New section of our Class of 1966 website by Bobby Wilson on Friday, June 11, 2020:

This is the brick that Molly Case and I purchased in memory of Denny Ball at the Children's Memorial Park on Transit and Lincoln. It is to the right of the walk way going in by the north edge of the walk.


06/13/20 12:14 AM #5    

Chris Dix

What a wonderful tribute, Bobby, to a childhood friendship that's lasted well over 60 years---Molly and you are to be commended for your kindness and sensitivity---no doubt many of our Classmates will check out the brick that Molly and you have dedicated to the memory of your good friend---we'll certainly look forward to paying our respects to Dennis on our next visit to Lockport!!! 


06/13/20 10:51 AM #6    

Robert Wilson

 This picture was in the basement at John Pound when my sister-in-law, Terry Carbone, was the principal there and she asked me if I knew anything about it - I said I had remembered that we, our class, had purchased a picture in memory of Denny Ball, but wasn't sure if this was it or not? and I proceeded to tell her the story of him being my best freind and neighbor and the fire and Terry said well then I should have it. It has hung in our home, which is right acroos the street from John Pound on the NW corner of High and Harvey, ever since. Oddly enough we had a housefire in that home in 1996, when my son was 7 years old, but luckily we were not at home, but we did lose our dog, Sasha.  

Thanks Allan for clearing up about the picture!


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