Jerry Ann Ray Hall, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on June 23, 2020, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was born in Palestine, Texas, October 23, 1941, the fourth of four children born to the late Sam Ray and Lula Mae (Skeen) Ray.
Her childhood was forever changed when a tornado took the lives of her parents and sister Mary Sue in Palestine, on January 4, 1946. As a result of the loss of her parents, she was adopted by her father’s brother, Clarence Ray and his wife Hallie, of Houston. They provided a warm and loving home and raised her as their own child, along with their son and her new brother Clarence Elwin, who was three years her senior. In addition to Jerry Ann, her brother, Sam Bennie Ray also survived the tornado. An older brother James Dalton Ray preceded her birth family in death in 1932.
Jerry Ann belonged to the congregation of the Houston First Church of God, where she met Jerry O’Neal “J.O.” Hall. She and J.O. corresponded regularly while he joined and served four years with the US Coast Guard.
While J.O. served, Jerry Ann attended Reagan High School in Houston. In addition to her studies during high school, Jerry Ann was a member of the Red Coats Majorettes baton team. She graduated in 1959.
On September 10, 1960, she and J.O. were married. By 1967, Jerry Ann and J.O. had three children. Family was extremely important in her life as J.O.s occupation caused the family to relocate to numerous locations during the Hall children’s childhood: Alice, TX, Corpus Christi, TX, Gillette, WY, Davis, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Ventura, CA, back to Davis and finally, Fort Smith, AR, where all of the Hall children graduated from high school. Jerry Ann did a wonderful job of making each of these new locations feel like home for her children, a challenging task.
Jerry Ann was fulfilled in her and J.O.s retirement by her involvement with her church, and her work with United Methodist Women’s organization, as well as spending as much time as possible with her children and grandchildren. She passed away three months before her 60th wedding anniversary with J.O.
Jerry Ann leaves behind to cherish her memory; husband, J.O., children, Curtis (Mary), Stuart (Teri) and Alexandra (Angel), and brother, Clarence Ray, as well as grandchildren Margaret, Celeste, Kalyssa, Elise, Morgan and Cara.
A Memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on July 11, 2020 at First United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs. A graveside service will be held at the Masonic Cemetery in Caldwell, TX when risk from COVID-19 diminishes.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Gary Sinise Foundation.
