California Biographies
Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
 
Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

Source:
History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
With Biographical Sketches
History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry
Illustrated, Complete In One Volume
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914


DREEME LIFE BALL.� A lifelong resident of Mendocino county, Mr. 
Ball has seen the gradual development of its agricultural interests, the im- 
portance of its lumbering activities and the growth of its towns, mean- 
while being particularly connected with Albion on Albion river, where he is a 
property owner and deputy sheriff. His birth occurred in Anderson valley, 
this county. October 9, 1872, son of J. D. and Melissa (Kendall) Ball, natives 
of New York and Vermont, respectively. The father came across the plains 
to California in 1850 and two years later settled in Anderson valley where he 
followed farming until his death. Dreeme Life Ball spent his first twenty years 
on his father's ranch in Anderson valley, where he attended the country 
schools. Leaving home to earn his own way in the world he went to Ukiah 
and found employment in a brickyard. While in that work he devoted his 
leisure hours to study and thus was able to secure a teacher's certificate, 
after which he secured a position as teacher in the Olive Spring school dis- 
trict. The following year he changed to the Hanson school district, where he 
taught successfully from 1894 to 1897 and then relinquished teaching- in order 
to enter upon the duties of yard foreman for the Albion Lumber Company, 
with whom he remained until 1903. Resigning his position during that year 
he engaged in ranching, his specialty being the dairy industry, in which 
he has met with considerable success. During 1898 he erected a building in 
Albion, where he is now engaged in business. He also laid out the south 
addition to Albion, a considerable portion of which is sold out. He is now 
serving as deputy sheriff, and aside from his interests in Albion he is a stock- 
holder in the Fort Bragg Commercial Bank. 

On the 4th of July, 1897, Mr. Ball married Miss Louise R. Handley, who 
was born at Albion, Mendocino county. She was the daughter of Thomas 
J. and Sophia (McGimsey) Handley, born in Jackson county, Mo., and Napa, 
Cal., respectively. Her grandfather, William Handley, was born in Vir- 
ginia in 1836 and removed to Lafayette county, Mo., where he learned the 
blacksmith trade and where he married Miss Mary Ish, coming overland to 
Napa in 1852. In 1857 the family returned to Missouri but in 1861 they again 
crossed the plains to Contra Costa county. In 1863 they removed to Nevada and 
in 1865 again returned to California, locating on one hundred and sixty acres 
of land on Albion Ridge, Mendocino county. Thomas J. Handley was born 
in 1852 and married at Boonville in 1875. He engaged in farming on Navarro 
ridge and later at Albion, where he died May 20, 1908. His widow afterwards 
married Alf Howard and resides in Fort Bragg. Louise R. was an only child 
of Thomas J. Handley and his wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Ball now own the old 
Handley ranch adjoining Albion on the south. Fraternally Mr. Ball holds 
membership in the Order of Eagles at Fort Bragg and, while not a regular 
attendant upon the lodge meetings, he keeps in touch with its work and con- 
tributes to its maintenance.