Carolyn Jessop Ballard

Carolyn Jessop Ballard, 82, of Hurricane, Utah passed away on Tuesday, September 5th, 2023 at home, with family by her side. She was born September 3rd, 1941 in St. George, Utah to Vergel Yeates Jessop and Verna Leone Spencer. She was the ninth child of twenty six. She attended grade school in St. George, Utah and Fontana, California. She moved back to St. George for junior high. At the age of 14, her mom died, and she moved to Hurricane, Utah to live with her sister, Joyce. There she made many lifelong friends and was a cheerleader and Tigerette. At the age of 17, she met her eternal companion, James Thatcher Ballard. They married in the Salt Lake City Temple on August 10th, 1959, and recently celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary. Hurricane is where they raised their six children, Tanya, Jill, Bob, Lonnie, Kurt, and Teri. Her sister Joyce’s daughter Natalie also lived with them for a couple of years. Her children were her joy. Besides spending time with family, she enjoyed playing softball for Ben Franklin, Pinochle club, making corn husk dolls, taking thousands of pictures, and writing poetry, including a special poem for each of her posterity as she perceived them. She wrote a very nice and complete history of her life and kept a daily journal up to the last day of her life. She had a book of obituaries with everyone she knew from Hurricane, St. George, family, and temple friends. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and had many callings, with temple worker being one of her favorites. She was a classmate of Jeffrey R. Holland and wrote him a letter when he became an apostle. She had many great friends, but was treated differently by some because of her polygamist background. She appreciated him for always treating her well. He wrote back to her saying he treasured her letter highly amongst those he had received. His letter was also much cherished. Carolyn is survived by her husband, Jimmy Ballard, her children Tanya (Norm) Black, Jill (Ron) Jones, Bob (Kathyleen), Lonnie (Cashel), Kurt (Jolean), and Teri (Scott) Stratton, as well as 18 grandkids, 18 great-grandkids, and one great-great granddaughter. She is also survived by her sisters Jenny Larson, June Ammerman, Joyce Miller, Janet, Merilyn, Viola, and Kathleen, as well as brothers Loyd, Glade, Sterling, Lyle, Carlos, Scott, Vergel, Leon, Nap, Royce, Reed, Steve, and Troy Jessop. She is preceded in death by her mom Verna, dad Vergel, mother-in-law Vera Ballard, son-in-law Lynn Labrum, daughter -in-law Brooke Ballard, grandson Mitchell James Ballard, sisters Rena Dockstader, Arleen Bateman, and Elaine Bistline, and brothers Fen Jessop and Buzz Jessop. Special thanks to granddaughter Kori Postma for all of her help. A viewing will be held Friday, September 15th from 6:00 to 7:30pm, and on Saturday, September 16th from 9:30 to 10:45am, followed by the funeral at 11:00am. All are at the Hurricane, Utah Stake Center located at 677 S 700 W. The interment will be at the Hurricane City Cemetery following the funeral.

Carolyn Jessop Ballard

September 3, 1941 - September 5, 2023