Lucy's Cousin, Ginger Rogers

[LittleRickyII]

I've heard they were distant cousins, but I'm trying to figure out how they were related. Here's Lucy's family tree:

http://www.geni.com/family-tree/inde...00002921047652

Notice her great aunt (her grandfather Jasper Ball's sister) was Sophronia Ball.

Now here's Ginger Roger's family tree:

http://www.geni.com/family-tree/inde...00008873443638

Notice Ginger Roger's grandmother (and Lela Owens Rogers's mother) was Sophronia Ball Owens. But this Sophronia Ball is listed as having been born in 1861, and the daughter of William and Catherine Ball, while the Sophronia Ball who was Lucy's great aunt is listed as having been born in 1843, and the daughter of Clinton and Cynthia Ball. So unless there is an error here, these are two different Sophronia Balls. But seriously, how many Sophronia Balls could there have been? I can't imagine that was ever a common name. I've never heard that name before.

[bogdanloveslucy]

Originally Posted by LittleRickyII

I've heard they were distant cousins, but I'm trying to figure out how they were related. Here's Lucy's family tree:

http://www.geni.com/family-tree/inde...00002921047652

Notice her great aunt (her grandfather Jasper Ball's sister) was Sophronia Ball.

Now here's Ginger Roger's family tree:

http://www.geni.com/family-tree/inde...00008873443638

Notice Ginger Roger's grandmother (and Lela Owens Rogers's mother) was Sophronia Ball Owens. But this Sophronia Ball is listed as having been born in 1861, and the daughter of William and Catherine Ball, while the Sophronia Ball who was Lucy's great aunt is listed as having been born in 1843, and the daughter of Clinton and Cynthia Ball. So unless there is an error here, these are two different Sophronia Balls. But seriously, how many Sophronia Balls could there have been? I can't imagine that was ever a common name. I've never heard that name before.

Having Sophroria Balls is a lot more common than you think, have had the ailment for years now, hurts like hell.

[GaryM...]

Originally Posted by bogdanloveslucy

Having Sophroria Balls is a lot more common than you think, have had the ailment for years now, hurts like hell.

Not sure that's what he meant!

Very interesting Littlericky! You sure know a lot about Lucy.

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by GaryM...

Not sure that's what he meant!

Um, no, I can promise you that's not what I meant. But I do hope bogdanloveslucy gets that problem taken care of quickly and never forgets to use protection.

Originally Posted by GaryM...

Very interesting Littlericky! You sure know a lot about Lucy.

Thanks, but I still can't figure out this family connection. Lucy and Ginger believed they were related to one another, I would just like to know how. Maybe they got confused about the Saphronia Balls and thought they were one and the same.

[bogdanloveslucy]

Originally Posted by LittleRickyII

Um, no, I can promise you that's not what I meant. But I do hope bogdanloveslucy gets that problem taken care of quickly and never forgets to use protection.
I was only joking, just could not resist.


Thanks, but I still can't figure out this family connection. Lucy and Ginger believed they were related to one another, I would just like to know how. Maybe they got confused about the Saphronia Balls and thought they were one and the same.

I agree with Gary, you sure do know your Lucy stuff, i am very impressed. Now back to the Ginger/Lucy connection. i only heard about that recently as it was never mentionned in any Lucy book. It might have been wishful thinking or Ginger could have mentionned she had a member of her family named Ball and they took it from there. We all know Lela Rogers was a mentor of Lucy's at RKO and she helped Lucy a lot. I just looked this up on the net recently and was shocked that both Lucy's and Ginger's moms died in 1977. Besides Lucy starting out in Astaire/Rogers musicals and both stars having done Mame, Lucy on screen and Ginger on the boards as well as Ginger starring on a Here's Lucy ep that was originally scheduled for another star and of course that great Merv Griffin tribute to Ethel Merman where both Lucy and Ginger came on as surprise guests. BUT, no mention of their being related in any way was ever mentionned anywhere that i know of.

[bogdanloveslucy]

[QUOTE=LittleRickyII]Um, no, I can promise you that's not what I meant. But I do hope bogdanloveslucy gets that problem taken care of quickly and never forgets to use protection.



I was only joking, just could not resist.

[LittleRickyII]

[QUOTE=bogdanloveslucy]

Originally Posted by LittleRickyII

Um, no, I can promise you that's not what I meant. But I do hope bogdanloveslucy gets that problem taken care of quickly and never forgets to use protection.



I was only joking, just could not resist.

Oh, I know. No offense here. Your comment made me laugh. Even Lucille Ball herself found the humor in her name. I can think of at least three occasions where that was apparent. Once was on Carson. I can't remember the particular comment, but it was some anatomical double entendre that made her crack up. Another time, she was on The Merv Griffin Show with her writers, Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr., back around 1981. Bob Carroll, Jr. started telling Merv a story about how Lucy formed a musical group in her hometown when she was growing up. As he's telling this story, Lucy is looking at him with a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about expression on her face. Then he says, "Yeah, they were known as The Four Balls." Lucy burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Another time is a story Carol Burnett likes to tell about a conversation she had with her over lunch one day. Lucy told her that, during the '60s, when she took over running her TV show after all those years of depending on Desi to do that, she had to learn to be tough. She said "that`s when they put the 'S' on the end of my last name."

[bogdanloveslucy]

[QUOTE=LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by bogdanloveslucy

Oh, I know. No offense here. Your comment made me laugh. Even Lucille Ball herself found the humor in her name. I can think of at least three occasions where that was apparent. Once was on Carson. I can't remember the particular comment, but it was some anatomical double entendre that made her crack up. Another time, she was on The Merv Griffin Show with her writers, Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll, Jr., back around 1981. Bob Carroll, Jr. started telling Merv a story about how Lucy formed a musical group in her hometown when she was growing up. As he's telling this story, Lucy is looking at him with a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about expression on her face. Then he says, "Yeah, they were known as The Four Balls." Lucy burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Another time is a story Carol Burnett likes to tell about a conversation she had with her over lunch one day. Lucy told her that, during the '60s, when she took over running her TV show after all those years of depending on Desi to do that, she had to learn to be tough. She said "that`s when they put the 'S' on the end of my last name."

The Carson one was when she got her Friars' roast just for herself and Carson, after telling everybody they had to show some class and not be disrespectful to her then introduced her as Lucille Testicule. There was also another instance on The Merv Griffin Show, they came back from commercial and Lucy is heard saying WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO THAT WITH your NAME.

[LittleRickyII]

[QUOTE=bogdanloveslucy]

Originally Posted by LittleRickyII

The Carson one was when she got her Friars' roast just for herself and Carson, after telling everybody they had to show some class and not be disrespectful to her then introduced her as Lucille Testicule. There was also another instance on The Merv Griffin Show, they came back from commercial and Lucy is heard saying WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO THAT WITH your NAME.

You just reminded me of another one that I had forgotten about. That's not the occasion I remember on Carson, it was something else. But as for the Lucille Testicle joke, was that actually Carson? I'm thinking it was Foster Brooks.

[bogdanloveslucy]

[QUOTE=LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by bogdanloveslucy

You just reminded me of another one that I had forgotten about. That's not the occasion I remember on Carson, it was something else. But as for the Lucille Testicle joke, was that actually Carson? I'm thinking it was Foster Brooks.

When Lucy got her own Friars roast, not the one with Desi, Carson hosted and made that testicule joke. Foster Brooks had the one on the Dean Martin celebrity roast where he said her name was LOOSE, or at least that's what the football team called her back in their old school days. That was the funniest joke on that Martin roast but the best part was Lucy's reaction to it, at first subdued mock anger turning to hysterical laughter, LOL!