Barn Memories - Gerald Ball

Barn Memories is an oral history project completed by the Appalachian Barn Alliance (appalachianbar...) and sponsored by the Hart Family Fund for Small Towns of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The project involved interviews with long-time residents of Madison County, NC, all reminiscing about their most cherished barn memories. This interview is one of ten collected during this endeavor.
Born in 1949, Gerald Ball has lived in Mars Hill most of his life. He is a 5th generation member of the Ball family from Banjo Branch. Gerald’s parents, Charles and Eva, met on the Smith Farm about 1946, where they farmed. Gerald retired from a 39-year career as the first IT director at Mars Hill University. He is married to Teresa and has two daughters. He has a rich memory of a rural childhood and has exemplified Madison County neighborliness all his life. Interviewed March 2023.