Merrill Reed Balls, 84, of Soda Springs died at his home on Wednesday, May 23, 2012. He was born May 10, 1928 in Soda Springs to Kenneth Grant and Zina Edna Horsley Balls. Merrill was raised and educated in Soda Springs, graduating from Soda Springs High School in 1946. He attended BYU for two years where he gained an appreciation for music and some of the other arts. Serving a two year mission to England he strengthened his testimony and obtained a love for the English people. He attended Utah State University before answering a call to be in the US Army in the 701st Military Police Battalion stationed in San Francisco. Merrill started work at Monsanto from 1952 until retiring. He then worked for the Soda Springs School District and later delivered Meals on Wheels for the Caribou County Senior Citizens for the past several years. He met Shirley Whitaker of Montpelier on a blind date and they were later married in the Logan LDS Temple on January 12, 1955. They were married 56 years before Shirley passed away on Sept 10, 2011. They were parents of four children, Kevon, Sheryl, Christine, and Howard. Merrill's passions in life were spending time with family, music, and the outdoors. He was an accomplished piano and organ player. In recent years, he had begun to play the cello and participated in a few community orchestra events and in the Soda Springs musicals. He loved spending time in nature – especially cross country skiing and backpacking in Teton National Park and the Wind River Mountain Range in Wyoming. He also enjoyed reading, gardening, and dutch oven cooking. He was a long- time volunteer in the scouting program where he received the District Award of Merit in 2001, and the Silver Beaver Award in 2003. Merrill's church callings included teacher, Elders quorum secretary and counselor, president of the Seventies quorum and senior Seventies quorum president, organist, scoutmaster, and scout committee chair. He is survived by his children Kevon and Kathleen Balls, South Jordan, Utah, Sheryl of Soda Springs, Christine Davis, South Jordan, UT and Howard and Suzanne Balls, Soda springs, 12 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren with a 7th due next month, two sisters, and one brother. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Shirley, three brothers and two sisters. He was also preceded in death by two brothers who died in infancy. Funeral services will be held Friday, June 1, 2012 at 11 AM at the Soda Springs LDS Stake Center. A viewing will be held from 6 to 8 PM on Thursday May 31 at the Sims Funeral Home, and on Friday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 AM at the stake center prior to the services. Listen to service: