Birth date: Nov 4, 1942 Death date: Jun 26, 2020
Decatur – Charolene Y. Ballard, 77, of Decatur, passed away Friday, June 26, 2020, at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur. Charolene was born November 4, 1942, in Decatur, IL, the daughter of Jesse J. and Doloris I. (Buckley) Knotts Read Obituary
Charolene was my aunt. Years ago we all would gather at my grandma and grandpa’s, Helen and Jim Ballard’s house quite often. They always had the mixed Brach candies some of them hard. I was a young mom. Jimmy about 3 1/2, Niki 1 1/2. Jimmy got a hard candy and started choking . My beautiful aunt without even thinking, grabbed him turned him over and started pounding on his back, dislodging the candy. She may well have saved my precious boy’s life. I only thanked her a couple times, but never forgot. She always had a smile, a hug and I LO VE. Y O U. She was the good Christian woman everyone wants to be like! And an awesome cook.Hope to see you again someday, Aunt Charolene!
