[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17977]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO TRILBY WHOBREY BALL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to a dear friend 
of mine who has left behind her beloved Commonwealth stronger than when 
she found it. Mrs. Trilby Whobrey Ball was 80 years old when she passed 
away in her Owensboro, KY, home this August 26.
  Born in the Kentucky town of Semiway, in McLean County, Trilby--or 
Trib, to her friends--graduated from Calhoun High School in 1946. She 
married her husband, Dr. Coy ``Eddie'' Ball, in 1947 when they both 
were attending Western Kentucky University. The Balls moved to 
Owensboro in 1964, where they would stay until this day.
  Trib became well known to her neighbors and friends as she became 
active in her community. She was a member of the Daviess County Medical 
Auxiliary/Alliance since 1964 and served on the boards of several 
important charitable causes, including the Ellis Park Foundation, the 
Alma Randolph Foundation and the H.L. Neblett Center.
  In fact, I first became aware of the H.L. Neblett Center through 
Trib. The old building she showed me wasn't good enough, and I was able 
to appropriate funds to construct a new H.L. Neblett Center for the 
community to focus on mentoring children and their families. That is 
directly due to Trib, and a room in the new building is appropriately 
named after her.
  Since 2005, she was a member of the Kentucky State Legislative Ethics 
Commission. She joined Owensboro's First Baptist Church and became an 
integral member of the New Ladies Sunday school class, a group of fast 
friends who were very supportive of the Ball family during Trib's final 
years.
  Trib also became involved in local politics and devoted a lot of time 
to serving her community and her country that way. Back in the days 
when Kentucky was very much dominated by one political party, she stood 
up for a competitive two-party system. She became active in the 
Republican Party of Daviess County and of Kentucky, and was chairperson 
of the 21-county Second District from 1968 to 1972. She cochaired the 
Daviess County gubernatorial campaign for Kentucky Governor Louie B. 
Nunn.
  Trib served on the party's State Central Committee for more than 20 
years, and represented Kentucky as either a delegate or a guest at the 
Republican National Convention three times. In fact, in my role as its 
temporary chairman, I selected her to be my honorary escort for the 
2008 Republican Convention, just held last week. Sadly, she left us 
before that date, but I decided to let her appointment stand as I know 
Trib would have loved to be with us in St. Paul, MN.
  May I add, that Trib was also a longtime, steadfast supporter of my 
own campaigns, and I remember her eagerness to help and to volunteer 
very well. Trib was very helpful to me back when no one knew who I was 
or if I could win a statewide election. I'm gratified that 24 years 
after the fact, she told a reporter at a Lincoln Day luncheon this year 
that my first Senate race in 1984 was one of the sweetest campaigns she 
ever worked on. It was made all the sweeter by her presence.
  Friends and family members will remember Trib's love of boating, 
basketball and bluegrass music when they think of her long, well-lived 
life. She leaves behind her husband of nearly 61 years, Eddie; their 
two children, Bonnie Harris and her husband Jay as well as David Ball 
and his wife Christy; her grandchildren, Jack, Cal and Keeley Harris; 
her sister, Sylvia Gross; several nieces and nephews; and many other 
beloved family members.
  Mrs. Trilby Whobrey Ball was a very special woman and one of 
Kentucky's finest citizens. I extend my deepest sympathies to her 
family. She will be greatly missed by all who loved her.

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