Betty McGrady Ballard

Betty McGrady-Ballard Betty Farmer McGrady-Ballard passed away early Thursday morning after a brief illness with cancer. She was preceded in death by her parents, George Dewey (Rusty) Farmer and Sara Mae Farmer, her daughter Alison Denise Ledford and husband Courtney F. McGrady. She was owner of McGrady Development and had spent over 30 years in banking, having worked at Cleveland National and later First American Bank where she retired. She served as vice president of Cleveland 100 an organization in which she was a co-founder. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, Cleveland Country Club and past president of the Ladies Golf Association. A native of Cleveland, she was a Bradley Central High School graduate. She is survived by her husband, Richard Ballard (US Army, Retired) of Cleveland; daughter Angie Ledford-Underwood and husband George; grandchildren: Ashley Mitchell-Brackett, Austin James Droke, Anderson Kyle Droke, Alison Courtney Underwood and Anna Elizabeth Underwood; and special friends whom she called "family," Mayor Tom & Sandra Rowland, Robert & Gaila Pettway, Johnny & Wilma Jean Pippenger and Ray and Karen Cordell. The funeral will be Sunday 4 p.m. at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in Cleveland, where she was a member. Officiating will be the Rev. Robert Smith with eulogy by Mayor Tom Rowland and music by Mary Beth Wicks. Interment will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens with officers and board members of Cleveland 100 and of Epsilon Sigma Master, Beta Sigma Phi Sorority as honorary pall bearers. Active pallbearers will be: Grandsons Austin and Anderson Droke, Johnny Pippenger, Robert Pettway, Ray, Mark and Larry Cordell. Her family will receive friends prior to the service, from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday in the sanctuary of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, Normal Chapel and Peerless Roads. Family requests memorials be made to Cleveland 100, P.O. Box 2370, Cleveland TN 37320-2370 or to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 22718 Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718. Ralph Buckner Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Ballard family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.com.