DONALD E. HALL
Jan. 28, 1923-June 8, 2018
Private service: Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Florida.
Donald E. Hall was 95 years old when he passed away at Emory L. Bennett VA Nursing Home in Florida Friday, June 8, 2018. He was born Jan. 28, 1923, in Tama, Iowa, to Gladys and Bob Hall.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Melba Hall; mother and father, Gladys and Bob Hall; stepfather, Robert Hazard; a son, Dan; daughter, VaDonna; granddaughter, Courtney; daughter-in-law, Sherry; brother, Bob Hall; nephew, Todd Hall; and nieces, Judy Barber and Stacey Eddie.
Don attended Tama High School in Tama, Iowa. He graduated with honors in mechanical engineering at the University of Iowa. He received his master’s degree at the University of Missouri. While at Iowa, he and Melba ran a COOP House for married students, was a representative to the student legislature and helped start a pep club called the Tail Feathers.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and received a medical discharge. Don met Melba, the love of his life, while working at the bomb plant in Burlington, Iowa. They were married Dec. 31, 1944 after she asked him to marry her by saying, “If you marry me I will see to it you never regret it.” He always said marrying Melba was the best decision he ever made. They were married about 66 years.
He worked in manufacturing management in various towns. His last and greatest accomplishment was starting Chase Bag Plant in Sibley, Iowa, and managing the plant for 17 years before retiring. He turned the facility into a multi-million-dollar operation. Among his accomplishments were patenting a process for making a fuel filter out of nylon and perfecting a process to greatly increase the efficiency of making microwave popcorn bags
Don’s many recreational pursuits included hunting, fishing, coaching youth baseball and community activities (Kiwanis Club). He was known to routinely shoot pheasants on the fly with a .22 rifle. His greatest love was quarter horses. He remained an active horseman well into his ’80s. He won a team roping championship when he was more than 77 years old. He founded the booster club at St. Johns River J.C., and was instrumental in raising funds to allow the 1967 Vikings to go to national junior college basketball championship tournament.
After retiring to Stockton, he became a member of the Silver Haired Legislature, did taxes for ARRP, provided rides for the needy and chopped wood and gave it to people to heat their houses. His last act before leaving Missouri was to give his last horse to a 4-year-old boy who still has the horse .
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations go to Cedar County 4-H. Contact Heather Burns and Linda Heryford at burnshe@missouri.edu
