Elsie Hall

Elsie Regina Gray Hall was born to Obie Katherine (Dollar) and Oscar Gray on Aug. 20, 1926, in DeValls Bluff, Ark. Elsie passed away at the age of 91 on Aug. 28, 2017, in Centennial, Colo. Elsie grew up in DeValls Bluff and spent some years in towns in Oklahoma and Texas due to her father's work with the Rock Island railroad. She graduated from DeValls Bluff High School. During WWII, Elsie worked as a civilian employee at the Air Force base in Stuttgart, Ark. She attended the University of Arkansas and graduated in 1949 with a degree in business. Elsie was joined in marriage to Charles V. Hall on April 14, 1949, in Fayetteville, Ark. As a newlywed she taught at a business college and worked at a bank in Fayetteville. Elsie and Charlie moved to Hope, Ark. in 1950 and lived there until 1953. Elsie moved with Charlie to Manhattan, Kan. in 1953 when he joined the horticulture department at Kansas State University. Three children were born to Elsie and Charlie after their move to Manhattan. During this time Elsie was very active in the Manhattan Church of Christ and Ladies Home Demonstration unit, and she supported her children in 4-H, Scouts, and all their other endeavors. Elsie and Charlie moved to Ames, Iowa in 1974 for Charlie to join the horticulture department at Iowa State University. She was active in entertaining faculty and their spouses as well as students and supporting the work of the horticulture department at ISU. She also enjoyed bowling and golfing while they lived in Ames. After Charlie retired, Elsie and Charlie spent a great deal of time traveling with and supporting the work of the Sojourners, a Christian organization comprised mostly of retirees who travel in RVs to assist smaller church congregations and children's homes. In 2008 Elsie and Charlie moved back to Manhattan, Kan., where they lived for eight years. They moved to Parker, Colo. in the summer of 2016. Throughout the years, Elsie loved to cook for family and friends. She also spent many hours canning and freezing fruits and vegetables for her family. Elsie was a very dedicated and devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She always wanted to know all about the activities and lives of her children, grandchildren, and their families, and she supported each of them in every way she could. Elsie Hall was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Charlie, and her brothers LeRoy and Bill Gray. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Kathy and Tom Newton, Mary and Bill Jenkins, Marc and Ann Hall; her six grandchildren: Kristi Hall, Michael (Andrea) Hall, Sarah (Peter) Bowman, Jessica (Jonny) Cornwell, Benjamin Jenkins, and Charlie Newton; and her four great-grandchildren: Caroline Bowman, Ella Cornwell, Lizzie Bowman, and Jack Bowman. Elsie will be dearly missed by her family and friends. Funeral services will be Tuesday, Sept. 5, in the chapel of Tri-County Funeral Home at Highland, Ark. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until service time at 10. Burial will follow at Wiles Cemetery in Ash Flat, Ark. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Children’s Home, Inc., 5515 Walcott Road, Paragould, AR 72450.