Verna was born on August 10, 1923 to Harry C. Lay and Vernia G. (Morrison) Lay in Kansas City, Missouri. She had no siblings. She lived all of her life in the Kansas City and Overland Park area. Verna was baptized as a child and attended Linwood Presbyterian Church prior to joining Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas in 1956.
Verna married Raleigh Hoel on April 18th, 1952. She worked for 40 plus years with Trans World Airline (TWA) in the Cabin Attendant Department, Personnel Department, Industrial Relations Department and finally the Payroll Department. As a member of Village Presbyterian Church, she sang in the Village Choir, she was a member of mission sewing and with Raleigh, Verna was a charter member of the Village Church Mariners. Since Raleigh was a banker, they were always ‘Pursers’. She and Raleigh also taught Sunday School to the 4 & 5 year old children for about 5 years.
After Verna retired from TWA, she inquired about a volunteer job at the church. With her 12 years’ experience in the payroll department they asked her to volunteer in the stewardship department, where she worked for about five years. During that time, a part-time paying job opened in the church’s music department and Dallas Draper hired her. She worked there three days a week until Larry Dean became the Music Director.
Verna and Raleigh moved to The Forum in Overland Park, Kansas in December of 1991. There they took part in many activities.
Verna was preceded in death by her parents Harry & Vernia, her husband of 48 years Raleigh and her cousin Roberta Clark, who was like a sister to her. She is survived by several devoted cousins and their families that she was very close to. Her cousins, Harry Morrison and Ellen Jennings were like her own children. She considered Susan Files, Program Director at The Forum, to be her surrogate daughter.
Verna’s family would like to thank Susan Files and Anita Parker for all their care for Verna during her final years at The Forum. The family would also like to thank the personnel at Sunrise
of Lenexa for their kind care of Verna during her last three months.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 2nd at 2:00pm at Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers Verna requested memorial contributions be made in her name to the Village Presbyterian Church Endowment Fund, 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, Kansas 66208.
