Henry Ball was born in Wiltshire, England in 1827. In 1833 he and his parents along with his siblings, immigrated to Canada. On April 28, 1851 he married Mary Ann Crothers in Whitby and moved back to Mary Ann’s hometown of Uxbridge. Within twenty years they had 10 children- 5 boys and 5 girls including a son, Luther Alexander, born in Uxbridge on September 7, 1873. Henry and Mary Ann later became farmers just outside the village of Brussels, Ontario where they raised their family.

Luther ended his school days in his middle teens when he became an apprentice at a furniture and undertaking business in Brussels. When he completed his apprenticeship, he followed the trek to Western Canada and secured a position at Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, where he worked for four years.  Seeking further experience and feeling the adventurous longing of youth to see more of Canada, he moved on to Edmonton, Alberta.

A year later an opportunity opened up a few miles from where he grew up in Wingham.  Luther and his older brother John were able to purchase a furniture and undertaking business from a Mr. Gracey who was leaving Wingham to become a partner with J O Mitchell in another St. Marys furniture and undertaking  business.  Mr Gracey later sold his share of his business in St. Marys and  returned to Wingham and bought the business, now named Ball Bros. back from Luther and John.  In 1914, Luther moved to St Marys and purchased  the business in which Mr. Gracey was once a partner.   He changed the name to L A Ball Funeral Home, which continued to operate until 2012 when it was sold to Andrew L. Hodges Funeral Home Ltd.

On September 7, 1915 he married Ida Wood in Kincardine, where she was born. They later had 2 boys named George and Frank. 

Luther died in Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario on November 17, 1937 from thrombosis, a heart aliment, which caused a clot of blood stopping the circulation in his right leg, requiring it to be amputated. In his obituary, it reads “St Marys lost one of her most prominent and highly-esteemed citizens.  His kind heartedness and quiet generosity characterized his life. There wasn’t a bigger hearted man in town”.

He is buried along with his parents in  Wingham Cemetery in Huron County.