Lowell man finds hope after loss of wife, family business [Video]

LOWELL, Mich. — Lowell is home to the river walk. But Lowell’s own Jim Ball could tell you a lot more about rolling on the river.

You can find him these days, selling hotdogs from a rolling cart beside the river. But you’d likely know him better if he had an ice cream cone in hand. 

Jim’s family owned Ball’s Softee Creme, a Lowell hotspot for ice cream. 

“Back in 1971 my mom and dad started Softee Creme. We had one ice cream machine, a pop machine, and a few toppings,” said Jim. “It was just a real big part of Lowell for 53 years. That’s a long time for a mom and pop stand.”

That mom and …