Charles Thruston Ballard, the son of Andrew Jackson Ballard, was born 3 June 1850 in Louisville, Kentucky and died 8 May 1918.

He married 4 April 1878 Emeline Modest (Mina) Breaux, who was born 11 June 1857 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and died 1 November 1933 (funeral announcement: The Louisville Courier-Journal, Thursday, 2 November 1933, p. 17).  She was the daughter of Gustave Arvilien Breaux, formerly of Paris, France, a lawyer in New Orleans, a Colonel in the Confederate Army and a Judge of the Supreme Court of Louisiana, and married 1 July 1856 Emilie Locke, who was born 18 August 1836 in New Orleans, and died 26 May 1872; she was the daughter of Mayor Samuel Locke and Emeline Guesdon (1818-1891) of New Orleans.

The following obituary appeared in Obituary Record of Yale Graduates, 1915-1920 (New Haven: Yale University, 1920) 16th Series, No. 11, pp. 733-36.

Charles Thruston Ballard, Ph.B. 1870
Born June 3, 1850, in Louisville, Ky.
Died May 8, 1918, in Glenview, Ky.

Charles Thruston Ballard was born in Louisville, Ky., on June 3, 1850, being one of the five children of Andrew Jackson and Frances Ann (Thruston) Ballard.  His father attended Transylvania University, practiced law in Louisville for many years, and at the outbreak of our Civil War in 1861 was appointed by President Lincoln clerk of the U.S. Circuit and District courts for the District of Kentucky.  He was the son of James and Susan (Cox) Ballard and the grandson of Bland Ballard, Jr, of Spotsylvania County, Va., who was a Corporal in Major George Slaughter’s battalion that came to Kentucky from Virginia in 1779 and who was killed in an Indian massacre in March, 1788, near the present site of Shelbyville.  James Ballard, his brother, Bland W. Ballard, a Private under his father in the American Revolution, one of the most celebrated of the Indian fighters in pioneer days in Kentucky, and later a Major in the War of 1812, and their half sister were the only members of the family who survived the massacre.

Frances Ann Thruston Ballard’s parents were Charles William and Mary Eliza (Churchill) Thruston.  Her grandfather, Charles Mynn Thruston, Jr, when less than twelve years of age, served as aide-de-camp to his father, then Captain, but later Colonel, Charles Mynn Thruston, at the battle of Piscataway in the Revolution, and later married Frances Eleanor, daughter of John and Anne Rogers Clark and sister of General Jonathan Clark, General George Rogers Clark, Captain John Clark, and Lieutenants Edmund and Raymond Clark, who served as officers in the Revolution.  One of them,—Captain John Clark,—Charles Thruston Ballard represented in the Virginia Society of the Cincinnati.   Another of her brothers, General William Clark, was too young to serve in the Revolution, but was an officer under General Wayne in 1794-95, and the Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition across the American continent in 1804-06.  Other Revolutionary ancestors of Charles Thruston Ballard were Lieutenant Armistead Churchill of the Fauquier County (Va) Militia and Lieutenant William Oldham, who served in Daniel Morgan’s company in the siege of Boston and in the Canadian campaign of 1775-76 and who, on November 4, 1791, lost his life as Lieutenant in command of the Kentucky Militia at the battle of St Clair’s Defeat.  Colonel Churchill came to Kentucky in 1779 and John Clark in 1785, and both settled and were buried on the present site of Camp Zachary Taylor, near Louisville.

Mr. Ballard was a member of the Society of Colonial Wars in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and of the Kentucky Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.  He was fitted for college at the Louisville Male High School and at General Russell’s Collegiate and Commercial Institute in New Haven, Conn.  At Yale he took the select course in the Sheffield Scientific School.  In Senior year he was captain of the Sheffield Boat Club, and in 1870 went on the first of Professor Othniel C. Marsh’s expeditions to the Western plains.  In the fall of that year he returned to Louisville and accepted a position in one of the banks, later becoming cashier in the office of the U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue.

In 1878 he organized the firm of Jones, Ballard & Ballard, and engaged in the milling business, using one of the first patent flour manufacturing processes which appeared on the market.  In 1884 they failed in business, were allowed to retain certain of their assets, were incorporated as the Ballard & Ballard Company, and later paid off all of their debts with interest.  They were among the first in the United States to establish profit sharing and welfare work among their employees.  Mr. Ballard remained as president of the company until his death, his brother, S. Thruston Ballard (B. S. Cornell 1878), succeeding him.  He had always taken an active part in the political, social, and civic life of Louisville. He was a Republican in politics, and was deeply interested in the affairs of that party. From 1907 to 1909 he was chairman of the Board of Aldermen.  He was president of the Louisville Board of Trade and of the Pendennis Club, and a director in the Fidelity & Columbia Trust Company, the Union National Bank, the Federal Chemical Company, and the Louisville Railway Company. He was senior warden of Christ Church Cathedral.  In March, 1916, he was elected a vice president of the Associated Western Yale Clubs.  He had traveled extensively in this country and Europe.

His death occurred very suddenly, May 8, 1918, at the family home, Bushy Park, Glenview, Ky, as the result of myocarditis.  He had not been in good health for some time, but his condition was not such as to affect his activities materially. Interment was in Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville.

Mr Ballard was married April 24, 1878, in New Orleans, La., to Emelina Modest, daughter of Gustave Arvilien Breaux (B.A. Norwich 1847, LL.B. Harvard 1850) and Emile (Locke) Breaux. They had eight children: Abby Churchill, who was married June 1, 1899, to Jefferson Davis Stewart of Louisville; Emile Locke (born September 18, 1880; died December 10, 1886); Mary Thruston (born November 25, 1882; died February 5, 1884); Charles Thruston (PhB. 1907), who served as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy during the war; Gustave Breaux, a nongraduate member of the Class of 1909, who held a Captain’s commission in the Coast Artillery Corps.; Fanny Thruston, who was married on August 31, 1912, to Charles Horner; Churchill (born April 30, 1890; died February 12, 1891); and Mina, who was married on June 6, 1914, to Warner LaValle Jones. His wife, five children, and four grandchildren survive.  He also leaves two brothers, one of whom, S. Thruston Ballard, was his associate in business, and the other, R. C. Ballard Thruston, graduated from Yale with the degree of Ph.B. in 1880.  His only sister, Abigail Churchill Ballard, was taken ill while in her Junior year at Vassar College and died of tuberculosis in April, 1874.

Charles Thruston Ballard and his wife Emelina Breaux lived in Glenview, Kentucky at their estate Bushy Park and had eight children:

Abigail (Abby) Churchill, born 16 February 1879, died 30 June 1922; married 1 June 1899 Jefferson Davis Stewart.  Issue: Abby Ballard Stewart, who married William H. Abell, 4 November 1939.  The Louisville Courier-Journal, Sunday, 5 November 1939, p. 14.

Emilie Locke, born 18 September 1880, died 10 December 1886.  Interred at Cave Hill Cemetery, Section 5, Lot 108-W1/2 Grave: 2.

Mary Thruston, born 25 November 1882, died 5 February 1884.  Interred at Cave Hill Cemetery, Section 5, Lot 108W1/2, Grave: 2.

Charles Mynn Thruston, born 28 November 1886, Louisville, Kentucky, died 13 January 1927 in New York City.  The Louisville Courier-Journal reported:

Charles Ballard Dies In New York

“Charles T. Ballard, 40 years old, formerly of Louisville, died at 3:17 0’clock Thursday morning at New York, where he was in the sales department of the Studebaker Sales Corporation, according to word received here.  Pneumonia caused his death after an illness of five days, it was said.

“Mr. Ballard received an engineering degree at Yale University in 1907.  He enlisted in the navy as a seaman during the World War and was admitted to the United States Naval Academy, where he received the rank of ensign.  He served with a convoy of troop ships.

“Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Helen Ballard, his mother, Mrs. Charles T. Ballard, of Louisville; two sisters, Mrs. Charles Horner, and Mrs. Henning Chambers, both of Louisville, and a brother, G. Breaux Ballard, of Louisville.

“Funeral services will be held at 11 o’clock Saturday morning at his mother’s home at the north end of Douglas Boulevard.  Pallbearers will be members of Mr. Ballard’s former office force in the Studebaker sales organization at Dayton, Ohio.  Burial will be in Cave Hill Cemetery.”

The Louisville Courier-Journal, Friday, 14 January 1927, p. 3.

  Apparently died without issue.  Interred at Cave Hill Cemetery, Section 5, Lot 108-W1/2, Grave: 6.

GUSTAVE BREAUX, born 7 October 1888, died 5 February 1961; married 27 September 1913 Mary Jane Fish (she died 30 April 1961 at the Norton Infirmary (The Louisville Courier-Journal, Tuesday, 2 May 1961, p. 24)) and was interred 2 May 1961 at Cave Hill Cemetery, Section 26, Lot 105-SE1/c, Grave: 2); on 9 January 1909 joined Ballard & Ballard Co. and retired in 1918 as vice president, and resided in Glenview, Kentucky.  Interred 7 February 1961 at Cave View Cemetery, Section 26, Lot 105-SE1/2, Grave: 1.  His obituary follows.

Veteran Auto Dealer, Breaux Ballard, Dies

Was Active In Clubs, Civic Affairs

Gustave Breaux Ballard, a veteran automobile dealer here who was active in civic affairs here, died at 3:55 p.m. yesterday in Norton Memorial Infirmary. He was 72.

Ballard of Glenview, founded Breaux Ballard Company, 115 W. Broadway, in 1925 on what was once the site of the University of Louisville.

He withdrew as president of the company after suffering a stroke in 1948.  He had been hospitalized since December 23.  A son, G. Breaux Ballard, Jr., now heads the firm.

Served With Mill

A native Louisvillian, the elder Ballard was the son of Charles Thruston Ballard, co-founder of the old Ballard Flour Mills here, and Mrs. Mina Breaux Ballard, a prominent clubwoman and social worker.

Gustave Breaux Ballard was vice-president of the Ballard firm from 1909 to 1918.  During World War I he was a captain in the 73d Artillery and saw service in France.

For several years after the war, Ballard was president of the Studebaker Sales Company of Philadelphia, before returning to open his agency here.

Ballard was chairman of paper-salvage drives during World War II.  He also served on a special Selective Service board here.

He was a mason, a member of the Pendennis Club, Wynn Stay Club, River Valley Country Club, Louisville Country Club and Harmony Landing Country Club.

He was an endowment member of the Filson Club and a member of the General Society of Colonial Wars, and the Society of the Cincinnati, all historical clubs.

He also was a member of Christ Church Cathedral and of the Yale Club of New York.

Attended Male High

Ballard attended public schools here.  After completing his sophomore year at Louisville Male High School, he attended St. Paul’s School, Concord, N.H., and Yale Scientific School.

Other survivors include his wife, the former Mary Jane Fish, of South Bend, Ind., whom he married in 1913; a daughter, Mrs. John Pryor Castleman; two sisters, Mrs. Henning Chambers, and Mrs. Charles Horner, and five grandchildren.

The funeral will be private.

The Louisville Courier-Journal, Monday, 6 February 1961, p. 1.

Issue:

1. Mary Jane, born 13 May 1915, married 9 September 1936 John Pryor Castleman.   Their Issue: 1. John Pryor Castleman, Jr; 2. Breaux Ballard Castleman; 3. Michael Shea Castleman.  Her spirit is evident from her obituary published 24 August 2001 (newspaper unknown; online record from genealogy.com):  Mary Jane Ballard Castleman Sohle died August 20, 2001, in San Antonio, Texas, from complications of emphysema. Mrs. Sohle was 86, years old and had resided in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband, Vic Sohle. Mrs. Sohle had lived a full and happy life. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky, one of two, children of Mr. and Mrs. G. Breaux Ballard, of Glenview, Kentucky. She was the great-granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Studebaker; the founders of the Studebaker Motorcar Company. She was graduated from the Foxcroft School, in Middleburg, Virginia, and attended Vassar College. In 1936, she married John P. Castleman. They settled in Lexington, Kentucky, and later in Louisville, and by 1941, they had three sons. During World War II, she followed her army major husband to Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Warren, Wyoming, and Fort Reno, Oklahoma. The family settled in Louisville, and later Anchorage, Kentucky, after Mr. Castleman’s return from the Pacific Theatre, at the war’s end. In 1952, she moved with her family to Midland, Texas, where an oil boom was in progress. In Midland, in addition to her usual responsibilities as wife and mother, she established herself as a successful interior decorator. In 1966, she moved to Europe with her husband, first living in Switzerland; where he had started a financial services company, and later in Brussels, finally settling in The Algarve in southern Portugal. There they built a home and lived happily in that international community for a decade, until Mr. Castleman’s death, in 1979. Mrs. Sohle spoke fluent French and was at ease in Italian and Portuguese as well. She was a lifelong golfer and enjoyed playing in Europe with her husband, a member of the Royal and Ancient Golfers Society of St. Andrews, Scotland, and the American Seniors Golf Association. Mrs. Sohle returned to the United States, in 1981, to the town of Lakeway, near Austin, Texas, to be near the growing families of her three sons. In 1983, she married F.V. (Vic Sohle Jr., a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, who also lived in Lakeway. There then began an especially joyous part of her life, as she lived in the warmth and affection of her family and enjoyed the love and attention of her husband, his daughter and grandchildren. Mr. Sohle is also an ardent golfer and the two enjoyed playing golf all over the world with the People to People Golf program and the 200 Club. Shortly after her marriage, at age 70, Mrs. Sohle took flying lessons, in order to be of assistance should her pilot husband ever have an emergency. Mrs. Sohle was particularly fond of bridge and was an excellent player. She enjoyed many happy hours and friendships with fellow bridge enthusiasts wherever she lived. Mrs. Sohle had a warm and friendly manner and a kind word for everyone. Her gentle wit and wisdom were lovingly bestowed upon all whose lives she touched. She was a lady in the grandest sense, and her graceful approach to life was an inspiration to her friends and family. She is survived by her beloved husband; Vic Sohle, the families of her three sons, John Pryor Castleman Jr.,of Dallas, Breaux Ballard Castleman of San Francisco, and Michael Shea Castleman, of Houston; and her stepdaughter Linda Sohle McDowell of Las Vegas. Mrs. Sohle was known as Ma Mere to her 11 grandchildren and 18 great- grandchildren. After a private ceremony, interment will be at the Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.

2. Gustave Breaux, Jr.  He attended Yale University and married 1940 Ann Perdue, the daughter Mrs. _______ Myers (who married second George Myers of Mobile, Alabama).  Ann Perdue died 15 August 1985 in Naples, Florida (The Louisville Courier-Journal, Saturday, 17 August 1985, p. 14).  Interred 19 August 1985 at Cave Hill Cemetery, Section 26, Lot 105-SE1/2, Grave: 4; Gustave Breaux was interred 30 November 1991 at Cave View Cemetery, Section 26, Lot 105-SE1/2, Grave: 5.  Their children: 1. Suzanne, who married John F. Rogers; 2. Gustave Breaux, III.

Fanny Thruston, a twin, born 30 April 1890; married 31 August 1912 Charles L. Horner; she died 30 May 1985.  Issue: Fannette Breaux Horner, born 16 January 1919, Louisville, Kentucky, died 22 January 2012, Westwood, Massachusetts; married William Ballard Hoyt Sawyer; 2. Robert Ballard Horner, born 1922.

Churchill, twin to Fanny, born 30 April 1890, died 18 February 1891; interred at Cave Hill Cemetery, Section 5, Lot 108-W1/2, Grave: 3.

Mina Breaux, born 24 June 1893, married 6 June 1914 Warner L. Jones (divorce granted 2 May 1922 “Divorce Is Granted Mrs. Warner Jones,” The Louisville Courier-Journal, Wednesday, 3 May 1922, p. 6).   Issue: 1. Warner L. Jones, Jr; 2. Mina B. Jones.