Obituary: Hall, Donald E.
Age 97
Dad was born August 30, 1917 in Smithfield, Nebraska.
He was the fifth child of nine, born to Harry and Ida Hall.
Harry and Ida were corn farmers in Nebraska.
The family moved west after losing their livelihood during the Dust Bowl.
Dad worked in a small grocery store in Carriewood, Idaho, and hauled cord wood until he was drafted into the Army to serve his country during World War II.
He fought in four out of the five major campaigns in Europe, driving a tank destroyer.
It was a privilege to hear some of his amazing stories from that time in his life.
He married the love of his life, Lorraine Dolan in 1947, and together raised four children.
There are so many words that describe our Papa.
He was humble, hard-working, and always fair.
He was a good provider, a quiet leader, strong (inside and out), a committed husband, father, grandpa, and great grandpa, who showed his love by serving his family in so many ways.
Dad was a remarkable businessman and mechanic who ran a successful towing business in Spokane, Washington for 18 years.
Upon retirement, Dad and Mom moved to Yakima, WA in 1981 to be closer to their kids and grandkids.
They enjoyed their life together here until Mom’s death in 1988.
Dad then lived with his daughters until his health began to decline in 2012.
It’s hard to sum up the life of 97 years in a few paragraphs.
Dad will be remembered for so many things.
One of our fondest memories is his love for gardening.
He loved to watch things grow.
He could grow anything, and pretty much did.
He was happiest in a garden, digging in the dirt, or watering the grass, and we loved to watch his enjoyment.
He is survived by a son Rob (Lisa) Bennett of Cheney, WA; and daughters, Roberta Porter of Medical Lake, WA; Terry Welch of Yakima, WA; Sue Day (Larry) of Yakima, WA.
He is also survived by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his wife Lorraine Hall, his parents, his siblings, and their spouses, and son-in-law Rick Welch.
We would like to sincerely thank the Good Samaritan staff for their tender care of Dad during these last days of his life.
What you do makes a difference!
A Graveside Inurnment will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2014 at 11 a.m. at Terrace Heights Memorial Park in Yakima.
Services have been entrusted to KEITH & KEITH FUNERAL HOME.