Born - Lois Jean Smith in Sweetwater TX, July 1, 1931 to Otha Oswald and Nanny Lois Bandy Smith. On April 19th 2019 at age 87, while living with her son Wayne Hall and his wife Carol, Jean was called home to be with the Lord. When she was 6 years old the family (Otha, Lois and 4 young daughters) moved to the Oak Cliff subdivision in Dallas, where Otha owned a dry cleaning business. One summer when Jean was 10 years old, the family moved to Laramie Wyoming to help plant a church, the Laramie Church of Christ. Jean was baptized in the cold Laramie River. The family moved to Abilene TX October 1st 1944. Otha and Lois wanted their daughters (Frances, Jean, Margaret and Mary) to have a Christian education, and decided they wanted to move close to Abilene Christian High school and Abilene Christian College. They bought a partially built home and finished building the house on EN 14th Street, just a couple of blocks from the college campus. During this time, there were only 11 grades in the public school system. A twelfth grade was added, so all school children skipped a grade. Jean was just 16 years old when she entered Abilene Christian College as a freshman. Jean joined the Zeta Rho Alpha social club and had a part-time job at the college library where she made 35 cents per hour. She loved her studies at ACC and excelled in all of her subjects. She loved typing and shorthand. One day a young man from Midland Texas named Lee Roy Hall caught her eye. Lee Roy swept the library (making 50 cents per hour) and swept Jean off her feet. The two love birds started dating and eventually got engaged when Jean asked Lee Roy, "Are we going to get married?" To which he replied, "Anytime you want to". On September 2, 1949, they were married, and moved to Midland. Jean was 18. Lee Roy built their first house from scrap lumber salvaged from a gym being built in Odessa. Jean spent some of her early childhood in Dallas riding a street car to her accordion lessons, so living in this roughly built house in west Texas using kerosene lanterns for light was a testament to her true love for Lee Roy. When they had been married 2 months, Jean was not pregnant and she thought she might be "sterile". First born son, David, was born when they had been married 11 months. Lee Roy tried his hand at farming in Pecos, where son Wayne was born. Lee Roy and Jean moved back to Midland where 5 other children were born (Sarah, Mark, Ted, Shelley and Shawna). Jean held several different jobs during her working career. She worked in a bank when she first moved to Midland and was pregnant with her first child David. She babysat dozens and dozens of kids during the 60's and 70's. There was never a dull moment at the Hall's house. May 9th, 1968, there was a monumental flood in Midland. Parents were unable to come and get their kids from Rusk Elementary, so several moms called Jean to ask if their child could just walk to her house and stay until they got off work. Rumor has it, there were between 25 and 30 kids that weathered the storm at that house on Shandon. When Jean and Lee Roy's last little chickadee (Shawna) left the nest, Jean went to work at the District Clerk's office in downtown Midland. Madge Wallis was the district clerk and Jean enjoyed the hustle and bustle of downtown. She was way before her time by riding the bus (Mid-tran) to and from work every day. Jean and Lee Roy were active members of the North "A" and Tennessee church of Christ until Golf Course Road church of Christ was built in 1963. They were there the very first Sunday it opened and worshipped and served there until Lee Roy passed away in 2005. Jean taught bible classes and whatever else was needed (spray painting rocking chairs for instance). In 2011 it became clear that Jean needed to live with family so she moved to Houston to live with her son Wayne and his wife Carol, where she resided until she was called home by the Father. Jean was preceded in death by her parents, Otha and Lois Smith, a sister Mary Barthelemy, her husband of 56 years Lee Roy Hall, granddaughter Marie Meador, great-granddaughter McKinley Hall, and great-grandson Gabriel Hall. She is survived by two sisters, Francis Gillis, and Margaret Grant. Also survived by her 7 children, David Hall and his wife Janie living in Plano Texas, Wayne Hall and his wife Carol living in Cypress Texas, Sarah Meador living in Arlington Texas, Mark Hall and his wife Susan living in Houston Texas, Ted Hall living in Denison Texas, Shelley Beaver and her husband Keith living in Aurora Colorado, and Shawna Hart living in New Haven Connecticut. Jean is survived by 17 grandchildren, Clint Hall, Emily Burrow, Neil Hall, Melissa Avery, Michael Hall, Ryan Hall, Sharon Van Cleave, Kara Barcroft, Mark T. Dyke, Leah Hess, Alyssa Roland, Jordan Hall, Kathryn Anderson, Quade Roland, Leyna Adamson, Zach Beaver, and Victoria Beaver. She is also survived by 33 great-grandchildren, Andrew Burrow, Ashley Burrow, Kaley Burrow, Cassie Hall, Matthew Avery, Zoe Hall, Donovan Crommedy, Meredith Avery, Audrey Hall, Abby Dyke, Molly Burrow, Wilson Hess, Nathan Barcroft, Julia Hall, Aubrey Hess, Levi Anderson, Leo Dyke, Hulon Hess, Finley Barcroft, Matylin Ledder, Nadia Hall, Shay Hall, McKenzie Hess, Grayson Hall, Caspian Barcroft, Wade Hall, Jeffrey Adamson, Theodore Roland, Madison Hall, Blakely Hall, Autumn Hall, and two that are not yet born. A visitation will be Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Golf Course Road Church of Christ at 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Funeral service will begin at 12:00 p.m. with Kyle McGraw officiating. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park.

Published in Midland Reporter-Telegram on Apr. 26, 2019.

...'just a fellow-Christian and member of the Church of Christ'...unrelated

Contributor: Paula Norris Pierce (47111543) • [email protected]