Gladys Margaret Hall

Gladys Margaret Larson Hall was born January 5, 1923 to Harry and Sarah Ann Larson in Tigard. She grew up on Bull Mountain with her brothers Ben and Irvin. She would frequently describe how she walked down the hill to town and back up with bags of groceries. She worked with her mother in the Portland Market downtown selling chickens and fresh produce.

She married Leslie Banyard in 1940 and they settled in a house not far from her parents. They had two boys, Larry and Benny. Their home was always open for the local boys to hang out. Ben said his Mom would hold him by his ear as she was vacuuming when he had misbehaved. I think that was often. She was the very definition of a multi-tasker.

Les’s sister, Nellie and Gladys became close friends-a relationship that lasted the rest of their lives. Les and Gladys divorced and Gladys went to work for John Hancock Insurance as an Office Supervisor.

She met and married Ted Hall and she moved into Southwest Portland where she lived until the last ten months. They traveled to Hawaii often and had great bbq’s in their big backyard. Christmas was always special with her mom’s “special salad” and the train under the tree. After Ted passed, Gladys retired, started mall walking and aqua robics at the Harmon pool. She met several wonderful people who became close friends. Gladys and Mary O’Gara travelled together, often going on cruises to Panama, New York, Mexico and sometimes just the beach. Gladys became part of a Camper Club, the Multnomah Elks and the Beaverton Elks.

We changed the lawn in her front yard to a garden in the early 1980’s and she spent spring and summer immersed in her vegetables and flowers. She shared her bounty and garden knowledge freely. She grew pumpkins for the neighborhood kids and had them carve their names in them and then watch as their names grew with the pumpkins.

Gladys could pinch a penny until it bled. An early friend, Maxine, told a story about when they were in a grocery store, Gladys took out her change purse and a moth flew out. It was a game to see how low she could keep her electric bill. Gladys and Molly were soul sisters who shared the same philosophy.

As Gladys’s health failed, her highest concern was staying at home as long as possible. With the help of her family, neighbors and friends, we kept her yard and garden going. She would supervise from her front window, feeding us lunch and giving us orders.

Mother’s Day was always a planting day.

Gladys loved friends, flowers, fun and family.

She had a photo mural on her wall of her friends at Harmon Pool that she spoke to every morning. She touched a lot of people and we are all better for knowing her.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Ted, brothers Ben and Irvin and beloved son, Larry. Gladys is survived by son, Benny Banyard of Newberg, grandson Benny Banyard of Lafayette and niece Marine Bergmann of Rhododendron and the cuttings of all of the plants she fostered and adopted out through the years.