Erika Leppek Ball

Our loving wife, sister, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully due to complications from ALS on October, 20, 2016. Erika was born in 1936, in Braunschweig, Germany, to Erich and Minna Leppek. She immigrated to the United States in 1955, with one suitcase and $75.00 in her pocket. Not long after her arrival in Salt Lake City, Utah, she met and married the love of her life, Fred Ball, on June 6, 1956. This beautiful 60 year marriage produced five wonderful children, 13 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren, all of whom Erika was very proud of, and lovingly displayed pictures of around her gorgeous home. An avid gardener, Erika took great pride in her yard and on sunny days you could find her on the deck or in the back yard digging in the dirt, planting flowers. She loved the many birds that would come into her yard and took great joy in feeding them - especially the humming birds and blue jays, and would rejoice when they would reappear each year looking for her feeders. Her house was her castle and her special touches made it a home. Her door was always open and all who graced her doorstep felt welcomed and loved. Erika was a very talented and creative woman. Professionally, she worked in the medical field for many years. On the home front, she was a wonderful mother and homemaker. She loved making things with her hands, from baking, to needlepoint, to her true passion - crocheting. She also enjoyed writing, and for many years served as Secretary of the Wasatch Mountain Chapter of the Studebaker Drivers Club. Her writing was also published several times in national magazines, which made her very proud. Erika is survived by her husband, Fred Ball; brother, Jrg (Hildegard) Leppek; children: Pamela (Randy) Jones, Jeffrey Ball, Daniel (Blythe) Ball, Debbie (Curtis) Childress, and Stefanie (Mike) Anderson; several nieces and nephews; numerous grandchildren; step-grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and step-great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be at 12 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the LDS Church located at 4310 South 3200 West, in West Valley City. You are loved by many and missed by all. You will be forever in our hearts. Funeral Directors - McDougal Funeral Home.