Harold (Pete) L. Hall

Harold Leroy "Pete" Hall was born in Cleveland, Oklahoma on December 19, 1937. He was the son of Loren L. and Berthalee Virginia (Pearson) Hall. He moved at an early age with his family to Salem, Illinois where he attended Antioch School for the first four years of his education. The family then returned to Cleveland where Pete attended Cleveland West Side Elementary in the fifth and sixth grades and attended junior high school here. During his ninth grade, Pete attended school in Salem, Illinois and Sterling, Colorado before returning to Cleveland where he graduated Cleveland High School in 1955. After graduation, Pete worked at Cook's supermarket before entering the Army.

Pete was inducted into the service of his country in the United States Army on September 9, 1956. He attended basic training in August and September of 1956 at Fort Bliss, Texas. Pete then attended Advanced Amor Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Later being assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and sent to Germany in March of 1957. While in Germany, his duties included protecting the Czechoslovakian border as an armored personnel carrier driver. Upon completion of his tour of duty in Germany, SP4 Hall was transferred to Fort Chafee, Arkansas for discharge. He often recalled that his unit was not allowed to take leave while he served in Germany. However, he was granted a three day pass in Garmisch-Partenkirchen a ski town in Bavaria of southern Germany and enjoyed that time. Pete was honorably discharge from the United States Army on August 24, 1958.

Upon completion of his military obligation, Pete worked in the oilfields of Colorado until December of 1958 and decided there had to be more to life than that and returned to Oklahoma and began his college education at Central State University in Edmond where he obtained a Bachelor of Science and then later a Master of Science from Oklahoma State University.
Pete was married to Linda Irene Goodman on August 31, 1963, at the First Baptist Church in Cleveland, Oklahoma. He was involved in teaching or administration during his entire career in education, working for a time in Sand Springs Public Schools and most for Cleveland Public Schools. Pete was selected and honored as the Pawnee Country Teacher of the Year in 1970.

Pete was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church in Cleveland. Serving wherever the Lord called him to participate including Sunday school teacher for Junior High students to Senior Adults, Deacon, Church Training Director, and Sunday School Director. He also served on the building committee for the new Baptist Church for over twenty years until its completion.

Pete received great satisfaction in his life seeing his former students being successful in life whether they went to college or not. Many of Pete’s former students are now teachers. He initially studied geology when he started college but realized there were not a lot of jobs available in that fields. As teachers were in high demand, Pete decided that was where he was supposed to dedicate his life. He often communicated that teaching in Oklahoma required quite a bit of financial sacrifice, but the rewards of teaching outweighed and outnumbered the pay scale. He said that science and literature opened up many new worlds to him.

Some of Pete’s hobbies included making model airplanes, riding a bicycle, playing war as well as Power Rangers. Pete also enjoyed listening to the radio and was a fan of the music of the 1950's. Pete passed from this life to his heavenly home on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, at Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa at the age of seventy-nine.

Pete is survived by his wife of nearly fifty-four years, Linda of the home; son, Larry Rance Hall and his wife Deborah; daughter, Whitney Carol Rusher and her husband, Scott; five grandchildren Collin Rusher, Logan Rusher, Ashton Rusher, Jaxson Rusher, Courtney Hall; two great-grandchildren Brayden and Marissah Stoner; brothers, Steve Hall of Helena, Montana, Michael Hall of Helena, Montana and Alan Hall and his wife Tonya of Cleveland, Oklahoma, sister in law Jane Hall Davis of Cleveland, Oklahoma. He was preceded in death by his parents, and two brothers, Dale Hall and Larry Hall.