Correspondence, sermon notes,
church records, and photographs

Manuscript Collection 875

• About Leerie Ball
• About the Collection
• Contents of the Collection

Leerie Ball (1914-1969) was born to James Albert Ball and Pearl Esther Sisemore in Japton (Madison County), Arkansas. After graduating from University High School (Fayetteville) in 1932, Ball preached for the Johnson Church of Christ (Washington County) and other Churches of Christ throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. He also delivered sermons over local radio stations.

The papers contain correspondence to and from friends and preachers; diaries of church meetings, baptisms, and other events; sermon notes; records of northwest Arkansas churches; photographs of family, students, and northwest Arkansas subjects.

Leo Ball, of Johnson (Washington County) Arkansas, donated his brother's papers to Special Collections on March 12, 1987.

Processed by Anthony J. Wappel, Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, Arkansas, in November 1988.

Series 1. Correspondence

Most correspondence for 1941-1942 consists of a theological debate between Leerie Ball and J. C. Falkner, a minister from Wesley (Madison County), Arkansas.

Box 1

1. 1941-1942.
2. 1953-1954.
3. 1957-1958.
4. 1960-1968.

Series 2. Diaries (Volumes 1-17)

Diaries are incomplete; however, they include dates of baptisms, weddings, deaths, church meetings, sermon topics, and other information.

Volume 1. 1937.
Volume 2. 1939-1941.
Volume 3. 1953.
Volume 4. 1954.
Volume 5. 1955.
Volume 6. 1956.
Volume 7. 1957.
Volume 8. 1958.
Volume 9. 1959.
Volume 10. 1960.
Volume 11. 1961.
Volume 12. 1962.
Volume 13. 1963.
Volume 14. 1965.
Volume 15. 1967.
Volume 16. 1968.
Volume 17. 1969.

Series 3. Sermons (Boxes 2-4)

This series contains sermon notes and sermons. Most notes and sermons are not dated. However, they range from the 1930s to the 1960s. Sermon notes on 3 x 5 or smaller cards and paper are in Box 3. All sermon notes are arranged alphabetically by title. This series also contains a collection of sermons delivered over the radio, arranged alphabetically by title; and a collection of sermons delivered at funerals, arranged alphabetically by name of deceased.

Box 2. Sermon notes

1. A-C.
2. D-E.
3. G-H.
4. I-K.
5. L-M.
6. N-O.
7. P-R.
8. S.
9. T-V.
10. W-Y.
11. Spiral-bound notebook.
12. Spiral-bound notebook.

Box 3. Sermon notes on 3 x 5 or smaller note cards in alphabetical order by sermon title.

Box 4

1. Radio sermons, A-M.
2. Radio sermons, N-Y.
3. Funeral sermons, A-C.
4. Funeral sermons, D-G.
5. Funeral sermons, H-K.
6. Funeral sermons, L-N.
7. Funeral sermons, O-S.
8. Funeral sermons, T-W.
9. Songs, ca. 1954.

Series 4. Church Records (Box 5)

This series contains bulletins and other church records from the Johnson Church of Christ, South Thompson Street Church of Christ (Springdale), Siloam Springs Church of Christ, and other area churches including Gentry, West Fork, and Wheeler. The Siloam Springs records include materials pertaining to Kellums Ranch, a youth camp sponsored by the Siloam Springs Church of Christ. This series also contains mementos from Ball's 1954 trip to the Holy Land with Fred McClung, a preacher from Fayetteville.

Subseries 1. Johnson Church of Christ

Box 5

1. Bulletins, 1956.
2. Bulletins, 1957.
3. Bulletins, 1958.
4. Bulletins, 1959.
5. Bulletins, 1960-1962.
6. Contributions, 1924-1927.
7. Minutes, Dec 1945 - Apr 1951.
8. Rolls, ca. 1945 and ca. 1960.

Subseries 2. Other Churches

Box 5 (cont'd)

9. Siloam Springs Church of Christ, 1952-1953.
10. Springdale Church of Christ, 1953-1965.
11. Springdale Church of Christ Bible School Lesson Book, n.d.
12. Other churches, 1950-1965.
13. Holy Land Tour, 1954.
14. Lynch-Banks debate: audio cassette of debate on
baptism, which took place at a Tulsa, Oklahoma church on November 30, 1954.

Series 5. Photographs (Box 6)

This series includes photographs of the Ball family, Ball's Sunday School students and friends, and Fayetteville, Johnson, and Springdale (Washington County), Arkansas, subjects. There are photographs of the Ball Feed Store in Johnson and of the Welch grape juice factory in Springdale. This series also includes photographs from Leerie Ball's trip to the Holy Land. Folder 3 contains a photograph of the KUOA Devotional Period Staff. KUOA was a radio station associated with the University of Arkansas which broadcast religious programming as a part of its regular operations.

Box 6

1. Photograph album of students and friends, n.d.
2. Ball Family, 1930-1950 [11]; Ball Feed Store [Johnson], 1950 [2];
Drake's Creek Baptist Church, n.d. [2]; Fayetteville views, ca. 1953 [4].
3. Johnson Church of Christ, 1939-1950 [5]; Johnson School, 1926 [1]; Johnson views, 1935 [2]; KUOA Devotional Period Staff, 1935 [1].
4. Holy Land Tour, 1954 [11]; New York City, 1954 [7]; Welch Grape Juice Factory [Springdale], 1950 [9].

Leerie Ball's University High School diploma (1932) and six cloths on which he wrote sermon outlines have been removed to Manuscripts Oversize Box 7.


 
Last modified: Friday, January 23, 2009