Mauricette Elaine Ball (Bontemps)

Mauricette Elaine Ball (Bontemps), 84, of Cuba passed away peacefully at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, October 30, 2018 in the comfort of her home, with her loving children by her side.

Mauricette was born February 15, 1934 in La Rochelle, France to Roger Jean Francois Bontemps and Lucienne Marie Fernande Percot of Lagord, France.

Mauricette met and married Donald Lee Ball in La Rochelle, France. With barely a command of the English language immigrated to America in 1959.

As a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Mauricette cherished her family above all. Her marriage to Donald flourished, together they built an upstanding family. Donald passed in January 2015. What God has kept together for over 57 years, he shall keep together for all eternity.

Mauricette, known as Marci to her friends, served her community as a cook at Cuba Elementary School, a housekeeper and caregiver for the elderly, and a self-taught beautician. During the fall harvest she picked apples at Gilliam's Pleasant Row Orchard in Cuba for 17 years. She enjoyed knitting and crocheting blankets and scarves for her grandchildren.

She is survived by four children, Patrick (Lori) Ball of Vista, CA, Ronald (Anita) Ball and Rodger (Julie Foster) both from Cuba, and Michele (Harold Smith) of Canton; seven grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, one step great grandson, and one younger brother, Jean Paul Bontemps of Lagord, France.

Services will be Saturday, November 3, 2018 11:00 a.m. Sedgwick Funeral Homes in Canton, IL. Rev. Kevin Van Tine will officiate.

Comments

The Yellow Legal Pad

In this episode, the Art of Refiring July 1st is staring me in the face, less than two weeks away. For years, retirement seemed like something that happened to other people. Suddenly, it's on my calendar. I've been thinking a lot about the dreaded "R-word" lately. Not because I'm worried about having enough to do. Quite the opposite. What fascinates me is this strange paradox: Why does retirement make so many of us nervous, while having a job—even one that regularly drives us crazy—somehow feels comforting? Let's be honest. Most of us spend years complaining about meetings that should have been emails, reply-all disasters, impossible deadlines, and that one coworker who insists on microwaving leftover fish in the breakroom. Yet when the idea of walking away finally arrives, we hesitate. I think I've figured out why. A career isn't just a job. It's a highly structured coping mechanism. For forty-plus years, somebody else has basically decided what I...

The Big Rip and the First Tee

The telescope (Celestron) sits quietly under its cover, temporarily blinded by Southern California's annual meteorological hostage situation – June Gloom. Somewhere above that thick gray ceiling, photons that began their journey before humans appeared are streaming across the cosmos, only to be intercepted by a marine layer that seems to have veto power over astronomy. Instead of observing the universe, I find myself imagining – The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by physicist Katie Mack. According to modern cosmology, the universe may eventually end in a Big Rip, a Big Crunch, Heat Death, Vacuum Decay, or some other catastrophe that sounds suspiciously like a rejected heavy-metal album title. Astrophysicists spend their careers calmly discussing the possibility that reality itself could suddenly cease to exist because a quantum field had a bad day. It's a remarkable way to start a Saturday morning. One moment you're contemplating the ultimate fate of spacetime...

Epictetus, Ego, and Acronyms

In this episode, Destroy Communication, One Three-Letter Acronym at a Time This week, I want to explore a deeply relatable, universally feared workplace character: the "know-it-all." Now, I’m not pointing fingers here. If we are being completely honest, we have all played this role. We've all uttered some version of, "Yes, absolutely, that aligns with our strategic objectives," while our internal monologue is screaming, "I don't even know what the objective is, let alone the strategy." What got me thinking about this was a chapter in Ryan Holiday's book, Wisdom Takes Work . Holiday leans on a powerful piece of Stoic truth from the ancient philosopher Epictetus: "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows." It's a brilliant quote that strikes right at the heart of the human ego. You can't learn what you already know, and you certainly can't learn what you pretend to know to save face. Though to be ...

The Places You'll Go . . .

Well, the time has arrived. Yes, July's drawing near, And somehow I've managed to last seven years! I've analyzed forecasts and studied the trends, While spreadsheets multiplied without seeming to end. We've planned for the sunshine, the storms, and the load, while Mother Nature kept changing the code. But through all the numbers, the forecasts, and charts, the best part of Cenergy's always been hearts. The people beside me, year after year, Made even the toughest challenges clear. To the bright, talented folks reading this today, The future is yours now—you're well on your way. And unlike my era, here's the key: You’ll work with AI just as smooth as can be. The reports that took hours may take only minutes. The models you build with intelligence in it. The data will flow faster than ever before, While AI handles tasks that are mostly a bore! But here's my advice as I head out the door: Technology changes, but people matter more. AI can predict, calcula...

On The Fly

Search This Blog