Jeanne Hale

KILGORE - Services for Jeanne Hale, 86, former First Lady of Kilgore, will be 10 a.m., today, November 11, 2010, at the First Christian Church with the Rev.Bill Blanks and the Rev. Darwood Gallaway officiating. Burial will follow in the Rusk County Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Mrs. Hale passed away Tuesday, November 9, 2010, in Kilgore.

She was born October 31, 1924, in Ranger, Texas, to William Sewell Denman and Carmen Edith Cornelius Denman. Her family moved to the East Texas area with the oil boom. She was a graduate of Henderson High School and Texas State College for Women, now known as TWU. After graduating, she danced professionally in Massachusetts, Canada and New York City, where she earned a spot with the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. In 1946, she married Louis F. Hale in Henderson, Texas. Jeanne opened a dance studio in Overton, Texas, where she was Broadway star Sandy Duncan's first dance teacher.

Mrs. Hale was active in her family's lives through church, scouting, PTA and community service. She was named 1957-1958 Mrs. Texas and was a finalist in the Mrs. America Contest. She authored a speech textbook and a couple of unpublished novels. Mrs. Hale was a member of Mensa, the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world. Within this group she was a member of Intertel, the top ten percent of Mensa members.

She taught speech and drama at KISD and Kilgore College. In 1972 she became director of public relations at Kilgore College, where she served until her retirement. While in that position, she directed the Rangerettes' and Ranger Band's trips to Venezuela, Romania and Hong Kong. She also founded Rangerettes Forever, which has supported and raised scholarship money for the world-famous Rangerettes.

She was a longtime member of the Disciples of Christ. As a member of Kilgore's First Christian Church, she began the Young Adults Sunday School Class in the 1970's. Jeanne taught this class for 30 plus years, necessitating a name change to "Young Adults Forever Sunday School Class."

Mrs. Hale was a docent for the East Texas Oil Museum, for which she used her computer skills to produce two cookbooks as fund-raising activities. She also completed a cookbook for Rangerettes Forever called "From Kicking to Cooking." In recognition of her many civic accomplishments and contributions, she was named First Lady of Kilgore in 2000. Mrs. Hale was an inspiration to all who knew and loved her.

She is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Louis F. Jr (Buddy) and Nancy Hale of Kilgore, Bill and Rebecca Hale of Kilgore, and Howell and Anne Hale of Kilgore; a daughter, Martha Hale Deen of Kilgore; nine grandchildren, Amy Hale Lettice of Redmond, Washington, William Denman Hale Jr., Louis France Hale III, Justin Claude Deen, H.P. Hale, Jared Hale Deen, Joel Morgan Hale, Sarah Margaret Hale and Jesse Duane Deen; five great-grandchildren, Dylan, Luke, Kolton, Tyler and Kendall Grace; and several nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Hale was preceded in death by her husband, Louis France Hale Sr.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Christian Church, 609 East Main Street, Kilgore, Texas 75662 and Rangerettes Forever, 1100 Broadway, Kilgore, Texas 75662.

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