June 28, 1943 – April 14, 2025
Obituary
1943-2025
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Margie Irene Barber Ball, 81, of Denton,Texas.
Margie is lovingly remembered by many friends and family, including; brother, Joe (Barbara) Barber; children, Michael (Amy) Ball, Matthew (Leslie) Ball, and Marissa (Mark) Glasschroeder; grandchildren, Colton (Stormie) Glasschroeder, Lilly Glasschroeder, Trinity Ball, Tristan Ball, Carter Ball, Rylie Glasschroeder, Callie Ball; great-grandchildren, Tinslee Glasschroeder and Cohen Ball.
Margie was predeceased by the love of her life, her husband of 58 years, Dr. Flamen “David” Ball VI; devoted parents, Truman and Margaret Barber.
Margie was born June 28,1943 in San Antonio, Texas to Truman Joseph Barber, Sr. and Margaret Evelyn Norman Barber. When Margie was 3 years old, her younger brother, Truman Joseph Barber, Jr. “Joe” was born. Margie’s love of education and learning started young, as her father was a professor of Business and Math at Trinity University and held education in high esteem. Her father was known for his warmth, wit, kindness, musical talent on the piano, and loquaciousness. All enduring characteristics of Margie. Her mother was the ultimate homemaker and Proverbs 31 woman, faithful, hardworking, showering her children with the love and nurture that Margie would come to show to her own children. In the center of it all, the Barber family’s faith in God led the way, creating in Margie a deeply faithful spirit. In 6th grade, Margie and her family moved to Houston where her father began to teach at the University of Houston. At that time, the Barber family joined First Presbyterian Church in Houston and Margie was a faithful member of the church youth group.
Margie graduated at the top of her class from Jesse H. Jones High School in Houston, and then began taking classes at the University of Houston. Margie transferred to the University of Texas in Austin, and the following year graduated with her B.A. in Spanish and Education from the Language Abroad Institute in Madrid, Spain. Margie used her gift of being fluent in Spanish and her interest in education by beginning her 26 year teaching career as a Spanish teacher to grades 3-6 in Spring Branch ISD. Around that time, Margie began volunteering at Ben Taub Charity Children’s Hospital, where she spotted a handsome doctor. As fate would have it, that handsome doctor began attending the Sunday School class for singles at First Presbyterian Church, where the two would meet and fall in love, and later marry on August 20, 1966 and become Dr. and Mrs. Flamen “David” Ball. Soon, Margie and David began their family and settled in Houston with their 3 children, Michael, Matthew, and Marissa.
Margie and David moved their family to Nacogdoches, Texas in 1978, and there they joined Westminster Presbyterian Church where they would continue to enrich their lives in God’s grace for 46 years. Margie was a member of the church choir for 28 years, served as an elder, and extended her talent and love of teaching to leading many Sunday School classes, as well as teaching Vacation Bible School.
Margie’s long career in education continued. She earned her M.Ed. from Stephen F. Austin, taught kindergarten, 1st – 3rd grade, ESL classes, and then ultimately found her deep love for teaching Pre-K children with special needs in Hudson ISD, where she earned the highest achievement in teaching, “Teacher of the Year”. Margie was a well loved teacher by all her students, and many of her students and their parents continued to stay in touch with her long after she taught them. Margie was an incredibly loving, hard-working, compassionate, creative, and devoted teacher. She loved her job, and it showed. She was the portrait of a teacher.
Margie loved to travel. She appreciated the beauty of nature, and the many sights of our country. She and David traveled to 49 states,exploring many, many National Parks along the way. Margie loved reading, writing letters to friends and family, serving as the Children’s Editor for the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel, volunteering for the HOPE Food Pantry, singing in church, and around the house. But most of all, Margie loved her grandchildren and spent hours playing with them, reading to them, and planning the most fun and educational activities/trips for them; “Once a teacher, always a teacher!”, she would say. She was such an incredibly caring, patient, and attentive mother and grandmother. She taught her own children and grandchildren many life lessons, but most importantly taught us about being loving, good humans in this world and looking to God as our guide. Margie was a true friend to all, she extended kindness to everyone she met. Margie “never met a stranger”, and made everyone she knew feel special and cared for. From strangers at the grocery store to friends and family, she was often deemed the “sweetest person you’ll ever know”.
In the spring of 2022, Margie and David left their beloved home of 44 years to relocate to Denton, Texas to be near family. There they joined St. Andrew Presbyterian Church.
A memorial service will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 903 North Street, Nacogdoches, Texas on Saturday, April 26 at 1:00 pm. The service will also be live streamed at www.facebook.com/westpreschurch .
In lieu of flowers, Margie requested that memorial donations be made to the Debra Dalton Music Fund of Westminster Presbyterian Church (903 North St. Nacogdoches, Texas 75961), St. Andrew Presbyterian Church (300 West Oak St. Denton, Texas 76201) and Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (P.O. Box 140888 Austin, TX 78714).
Cason Monk-Metcalf Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.