Johnnie (1894-1984) and her brother Brice (1901-1986) are several more of my distant Freeman cousins.*
[J.B. and Brice N. McDonald shared to Ancestry.com by jimkelly1803]
Johnnie attended the University of Texas, Austin, from about 1915 through 1920. Here's a group photo which includes her from the 1919 yearbook:
["U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; Year: 1919. Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1990 (database on-line).
Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.]
In 1925 Johnnie went to Europe although we don't know when she left the U.S. or what countries she visited. The only record I was able to find for her was this returning passenger list showing that she sailed from Rotterdam (on the S.S. Rotterdam) and arrived in New York on September 10th.
[Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. NAI: 6256867. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C. Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Microfilm Publication T715, 8892 rolls.]
[Ancestry.com. Passenger Ships and Images [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
Original data: Various maritime reference sources.]
A year later she was teaching history at Central High School in South Houston, Texas.
["U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; Year: 1926. Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1990 (database on-line).
Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.]
She and Samuel Charles Ballard (1892-1981) were married on June 24, 1928 and the 1930 U.S. Census found them living with her parents in Neches, Anderson County, Texas. Johnnie was teaching high school while Samuel clerked in her Mcdonald family's general store. Ten years later the couple were living in their own house, Johnnie still a teacher and Samuel was working as a salesman in a grocery store managed by another of the McDonald clan.
As far as I can find out, the couple never had any children.** They remained in Anderson County for the rest of their lives. From findagrave.com we learn that Johnnie was "[k]nown to be active in the East Texas Historical Commission and United Daughters of the Confederacy, John H, Reagan Chapter."
[Samuel Ballard and Johnnie Bell McDonald, photo shared to Ancestry.com by amreece1]
Samuel died in 1981 and Johnnie survived him by three years. They are both buried in the Neches Cemetery.
Here's how we're related:
[Ancestry.com]
**Her brother Brice named his daughter for her.
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