Obituary: Hall, Elma “Jeannine”
Age 76
Jeannine was born in Star City, AR on February 20, 1937 to Elma and Buddy Downs.
She grew up in El Segundo, CA attending high school for two years and then, moving to Seattle, graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1955.
On August 4, 1956, she married her husband of nearly 57 years, Dennis Patrick Hall.
‘Denny’ and Jeannine moved to Rockford, WA in the spring of 1967 taking over the family farm.
After her last of six children entered school, Jeannine registered in the nursing program at Spokane Community College graduating in 1975 becoming an LPN.
She truly enjoyed her years of nursing; working at the Fairfield Good Samaritan Center, Sacred Heart Hospital, Nutri-Systems and finishing up her nursing career at Group Health in an Administrative role.
For nearly 30 years, Jeannine volunteered as camp nurse for the Washington State Junior Grange camps, developing relationships that are still active today.
For 45 years, Jeannine was involved in the Subordinate, Pomona and State Granges holding various offices and board positions, keeping involved in myriad of activities including the planning and building of the Grange booth each year at the local fairs.
She was also an integral member of the Grange’s Deaf Awareness Committee which made her a perfect fit for her volunteer work at the Spokane Deaf Center.
In 2012, Jeannine and Denny were awarded the Outstanding Granger award in recognition of their many years of dedication to this farm-based, fraternal organization.
After the loss of her niece, Noelle Mayhew, to cancer, Jeannine found comfort in crocheting stocking “chemo” caps for women going through chemotherapy.
When arthritis and a broken wrist kept her from crocheting, she moved her gift of giving to sewing quilts for her great-grandchildren, Vanessa Behan and many of her friends and acquaintances.
Our mother lived a very full life through all these social activities but none completed her as much as being grandmother to eighteen and a great-grandmother to seven.
Although she leaves a void among her Senior Center, her Grange and friends, none will miss her as much as her family.
Jeannine is preceded in death by her father, Buddy Downs; stepfather, Richard Boyle; and son, Kevin Hall.
Jeannine is survived by her husband, Dennis Patrick Hall; her mother, Elma Emmalyne Boyle; sister, Allyne (Pat) Morse; and brother, Thomas Boyle.
She also leaves her five children, Stephen (Tina) Hall, BethAnne (Jim) Moseanko, Debbie (Ernie) Wuthrich, Kenneth (Christina) Hall and Jeff (Carrie) Hall along with Mike Campbell, one of numerous foster children their home was opened to over the years.
Her family would like to extend a special thank you to the Branson’s, whom Jeannine viewed as family, for the special love and care extended to their mother in the home.
A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at Dishman Baptist Church located at 315 N. Argonne Rd in the Spokane Valley, on July 27, 2013 at 1pm.
Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is overseeing her arrangements.