Zelma Edmo Ballard

Zelma L. “Bubbles” Edmo Ballard, 81 passed away peacefully at a local care facility surrounded by her family on Saturday morning, February 2, 2013.
Zelma was born and raised on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation where she attended grade school. She graduated high school from Stewart Indian School in Carson City, Nevada and Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas. Upon completing her education in Haskell she accepted a job with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Phoenix Arizona where she worked for nine years before transferring to the Blackfeet Agency in Browning, Montana where she lived and worked for five years. Her career with the BIA and Indian Health Services took her to the Northwest where she made her home in Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Marysville and Wellpinit, Washington. She also worked for the Seattle Indian Health Board before retiring from her government service. She returned to Fort Hall and began employment with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and later served a term as Chairperson of the Fort Hall Business Council.

Zelma was a devout Christian throughout her life whose main interest was serving the Lord. She enjoyed attending Revivals, Camp Meetings, visiting and making new friends. She enjoyed travelling (especially to visit her nephew Michael whom she raised).

She is survived by her son Sonny Ballard, grandchildren Anthony and Valarie Ballard and nephew Michael Edmo all of Washington state, her sisters and brothers Bonnie Ish, Marlene “Titter” Skunkcap (Leroy), LaMose, Jr. (Rita), Milo (Annette) and sister-in-laws Colleen Edmo and Virginia Edmo all of Fort Hall. She was preceded in death by a husband, Sonny Ballard, her parents LaMose and Jane Pongah Edmo, brother and sisters Bernice “Pickles”, Ronald “Scrub”, Theron “Tunnyman”, Inelda Edmo Wheeler and JayCee, paternal grandparents Jack and Lizzie Randall Edmo and maternal grandparents Pongah and Kate Farmer Pongah-Pizie.
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The family would like to thank the entire staff at Monte Vista Hills Care Center in Pocatello for her care while she was a resident there.


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