Fern Sorenson Balls, age 98, passed peacefully into the spirit world on January 18, 2023.

She was born August 24, 1924 in
the rural community of Central, Caribou County, Idaho, the fourth daughter and fifth child of Martin Ezra Sorenson and Ida
Johannah Peterson and grew up on the family farm.

She attended schools in Central and Grace before graduating from Utah State Agricultural College with a degree in Home Economics and took a job teaching in Idaho Falls.

She married her sweetheart Frederick Lynn Balls on June 30, 1947 in the Logan Temple, and they began their married life in Pocatello before moving to Soda Springs in 1952 where they built their home and enjoyed raising their family of five children. Her life abruptly changed with the untimely death of her husband in 1962.

She returned to the professional world as a teacher at Hooper Elementary school, with double duty as both bread winner and homemaker. She was an excellent cook, proficient seamstress and quilter, and a remarkable teacher.

She loved the Lord and was always active in church, serving many years as Relief Society president and gospel doctrine teacher prior to completing two missions, one at the Family History Center in Salt Lake City and another as ordinance worker in the Washington D.C. Temple. Above all, she enjoyed being with her family and watching her posterity grow.

She lived as a widow for 60 years, continually loving and nurturing her large family and always delighting in being with them.

She was proceeded in death by her husband Fred, her parents, her brother Arlo who died before she was born, her sisters Alta, Ruth, June and Alene and one daughter-in-law Earlene. She is survived by her sons
Martin Reed Balls (Pam), Kenneth Lynn Ball (Tami), Frederick Mark Balls (Kerri), and her daughters Ruth Ann Harrison (Joey) and LaNae Maughan (Dan) and 30 grandchildren, 90 great-grandchildren and 5 great, great-grandchildren.

Family and friends may gather to visit at the Sims Funeral Home in Soda Springs on Friday evening , January 27 between 6-7:30 pm or beginning at 9:30 am Saturday morning prior to services at the chapel. Funeral will be held Saturday, January 28 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 281 East Hooper Avenue . Burial will be in the Fairview Cemetery in Soda Springs.