Esther Ball

1949 - 2025

Esther Alma (Greif) Ball, 76, of Fruitland, Idaho, peacefully went to heaven while surrounded by family at home, on Wednesday, November 5th, 2025, after battling cancer for many years.
Esther was born July 27th, 1949, in Payette, Idaho to Irvin Charles and Alma Mae Matthews Greif, the 8th of twelve children. She spent her childhood playing joyfully with family and friends. She helped her Mom Alma out a lot with the cooking, baking and cleaning of the large Greif family. Her siblings have fond memories of enjoying her yummy, Snickerdoodle cookies. Esther was known for her bright, beautiful smile, kind heart and a keen sense of humor. Esther's siblings and friends enjoyed many giggles and laughs together.
Esther was crowned Payette High School's homecoming queen and graduated in 1967. According to her high school band director, Don Olson, she was the first chair flute player. She worked briefly at A&W in Payette where she met a handsome, young, navy man, David Merl Ball,who had just returned from Vietnam. After a few months of dating, she married the love of her life on April 26, 1969 at the Greif family home.
Esther and Dave lived in Payette for a while and then moved out to a lovely area in the rolling hills south of Fruitland in 1971. They built a house and raised their two boys Jeff and Chris on a hill near the orchards among the pheasants and quail. Esther loved the beautiful sunrises and sunsets and the smell of wet sagebrush as rain storms pushed past her home out there on the hill where she lived for over half a century. Esther loved her two grandsons, Collin and Jared, who both are US Marines, with all her heart. While she most certainly would have preferred her grandsons to have joined the peace corps, she helped raise some tough boys. She was so proud of them. Esther and Dave always had a beautiful garden and raised horses, steers, chickens, cats and dogs and a cantankerous old shetland pony named Buck that was borrowed from relatives in Weiser. We all are going to miss her blackberry jam that she canned every year. She loved volunteering at Fruitland elementary school as a classroom assistant when her boys were in school. She also was the bookkeeper for the family business.
Esther is survived by her husband of 56 years David; sons Jeff (Caree) Ball of Ontario, and Chris Ball of Boise; two grandchildren, Collin and Jared Ball; and one great-grandchild Penelope Ball. She is survived by her siblings, John(Sue)Greif, Ruth(Randy)Smith,Joe Greif, Martha Greif, Midge(Dave)Levson, Dan(Jenna)Greif, Mike(Gwen)Greif; Her predeceased siblings, Dave Greif, Sid Greif, Mary Greif, Sarah Olson.
Esther's family wishes to thank Doctor's Hospice of Idaho for treating Esther like one of the family with outstanding care. Plans for a celebration of life with family and friends are still in the works and we'll get the word out as soon as we have a date.