Norman Ray "Gus" Hale

Kingfisher, Okla. - Norman Ray (Gus) Hale passed away April 14 in Kingfisher, Okla., after fighting a lengthy illness. Gus was born on Aug. 15, 1935, to George Dewey and Angie Grace Tennis Hale. He grew up west of Kingfisher on a farm with four older brothers, three older sisters and one twin sister of whom he was inseparable. Gus attended country school in his younger years, graduating from Kingfisher High School. He was very active in the Kingfisher FFA - taking an interest and achieving a talent in livestock showmanship. After graduating, he began showing animals for local ranchers. He received many Grande Champion Showmanship honors in both Oklahoma and Texas. While breaking horses and working cattle for Hill Brothers Cattle Company in South Dakota, he met his wife Inez Duncan. They were married Sept. 30, 1959, and divorced in August of 1981. After proudly growing up with brother serving in WW II, he himself was drafted to the Army on March 27, 1957. He graduated from Fort Hood, Texas, and South Eastern Signal School with a Radio Operators degree and received a good conduct medal. On Oct. 29, 1958, he deployed to Korea returning stateside after active duty March 26, 1959. He worked for seven years as an electrician at Taylor Music in Aberdeen, S.D., and then worked for Milwaukee Road as a certified carman from 1969-1980. After the Milwaukee Road closure, he retired and moved his family back to Kingfisher in May of 1980. He then worked for his niece, Karon, at Timber Lodge until starting his work with the Elks Lodge, which is where he worked until his illness in November of 2003. Gus is preceded in death by his parents, George and Angie Tennis Hale; three brothers, Elden, Amos and Andy Hale; three sisters, Dorothy Hale Leitner, Ardith Hale Walters, Wilma Hale Garms; one son, Matthew Duncan Hale; one granddaughter, Jennifer Raye Hettich. He is survived by his oldest brother, Marion (Mike) Hale; his wife, Dorothy Bengs Hale; one twin sister, Norma Ruth “Tootie” Hale Calavan and her husband Roy Calavan. Four daughters, Mrs. Mark (Andrea) Hale Bloom of Webster, S.D., Mrs. Tim (Belinda) Hale Hettich of Aberdeen, S.D., Catharine Grace Hale of Oklahoma City, Mrs. Kelly (Demetrea) Hale Stephens of Twin Falls, Idaho; one son, Mark Christopher Hale of Kingfisher; six grandsons, Nikolas, Brandon and Travis Bloom, Johnathon and Shawn Hettich, Alec Christopher Hale; three granddaughters, Centele Bloom, Melissa Hettich and Chyanne Ehlebrecht; and one great-grandson, Jason Ohlde, all of South Dakota. Services will be held Monday, April 19, 2004, at 10:30 a.m. at Kingfisher Cemetery, Kingfisher, Okla., under the direction of Sanders Funeral Service. Memorials may be sent to Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation c/o Development Dept. (Cancer), 825 Northeast 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73102.