Louise Ball (1816-1890)

Grand Island, Hall County, Nebraska

Louise Ball was a Civil War nurse. “Army Nurse” is on her tombstone. In the 1889 and 1890 WRC National and Department Journals, she was on the list of Civil War Army Nurses as a Volunteer. Her address was given as 12 N. Green St. in Grand Island.

A WRC Department Journal reported her death, and a another Journal reported that “one army nurse’s grave” was decorated in Grand Island along with those of the veterans on Memorial Day 1907.

Grand Island Daily Independent Monday 2 September 1889
DIED.—In this city, at 5 o’clock a.m., Monday, Sept. 2nd, 1889

Louisa Ball was born in 1816 in Vermont. First Husband was Wells Stedman of New York. He died in New York State when his son was just a year old. Son was Nelson Stedman, who lived for a time in Nebraska before returning to Illinois.

Possibly, Louisa’s second husband’s name was “Enoch Parker” (b: c.1806 in New York) – Louisa and Enoch Parker are found in the 1850 Census in Portage co., Ohio. She and Enoch Parker are found in Jackson, Des Moines co., Iowa in the 1860 Census. He must have died very soon after, as she married Joseph Ball by Dec of that year in Henderson co., Ill. (just across the river from Des Moines co., Iowa). (I believe Joseph Ball was also in Jackson, Des Moines co., Iowa in the 1860 Census, though his indexed age/birthyear on Ancestry.com is off by over a decade…)

She and Enoch were apparently married in 1844 in Portage co., Ohio – at that time, her name was Louisa Stedman. (she would have been around 28 at the time of this marriage).

Louisa Ball was a volunteer Civil War nurse. “Army Nurse” is on her tombstone. In the 1889 and 1890 WRC National and Department Journals, she was on the list of Civil War Army Nurses as a Volunteer. The 1901 WRC Department Journal reported the death of army nurse Louisa Ball of Grand Island. The Grand Island WRC Corps, Lyon No. 19, reported that “one army nurse’s grave” was decorated along with those of the veterans on Memorial Day 1907.

The 1889 and 1890 army nurse lists gave her address as 12 N. Green St., Grand Island, Nebraska.