Mrs. Ball continued to remain active at Mount Vernon, and attended Spring Council just months before her death. She succumbed on October 7, 1918 at the home of her only relative, who lived in Waynesboro, Virginia.
At the time of her passing, she had served Mount Vernon for a remarkable 44 years, and was the longtime dean of the Association. Mrs. Ball had also served for many years as vice president of the Association for the Preservation of Virginian Antiquities (a trailblazing organization known today as Preservation Virginia), and was later made an honorary vice president for life.
She is buried in Richmond's historic Hollywood Cemetery, and on the day of her funeral, the flag at Mount Vernon flew at half mast.
At the time of her death, Mrs. Ball was preparing to publish a book on the life and ancestry of Mary Ball Washington, the mother of the Father of Our Country. She struggled during her later years, however, so she never completed this project. Fortunately, the Association secured her important collection of records, which is available to researchers in the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon.
Washington Library