Veranne Hall Graham

Veranne was born in Nashville, TN, on March 30, 1930 to Dr. Fred Hall, DDS, and his gifted wife, Birdie. Her tomboy tendencies in childhood were somewhat overshadowed by her striking resemblance to the starlet Shirley Temple. It's hard to be a tomboy when your mother dresses you up in short fluffy dresses and high maintenance curls!

The Church of Christ was central to her early family life, and she attended David Lipscomb in Nashville for many years. Under pressure to marry a particularly eligible bachelor at Lipscomb, Veranne bought a bus ticket to Searcy, Arkansas, where she enrolled at Harding College. That's Veranne's version of the story, anyway. I believe it. While at Harding, Veranne was a founding member of the Regina social club.

There a jug-eared, gangly boy from East Texas pursued Veranne so persistently that she swears she had no choice but to marry him. Harold and Veranne forever after insisted their courtship was like that of Pepé Le Pew and Penelope Pussycat. They married on June 24, 1952 in a huge church wedding in Nashville.

There followed three little girls--Gayle, Linda (now Alalá), and Deeanne. Harold's job as a chemical engineer with Exxon kept the family moving and so did the Holy Spirit. Young adult ministry in the church had been a passion for Veranne and Harold their entire marriage. When their understanding of scripture brought them to a choice between the call they perceived from the Holy Spirit and their deep roots in the Church of Christ, they courageously chose the Holy Spirit--and life was never the same again for the Graham family.

Both Harold and Veranne became ordained ministers during this exciting time. Their young adult ministry migrated from the church buildings to their family home and ultimately coalesced as the Fellowship of the Way of Christ. The FWC became far more than just their spiritual family. These college kids shared the Graham's lives for the following half-century. They nurtured and loved Veranne throughout her entire life and through her final illness.

Veranne's natural gifting found its greatest visible expression in her artwork. She was a renowned watercolor artist, winning many awards. But she was not limited to a single medium. Her portraits done in pastels are remarkable. But more than all of that she loved revolutionizing people's lives and their approach to art with her "right brain" workshops on creating abstract art using mixed media.

All three girls eventually married, although only Deeanne's husband, Greg, is still living. Veranne is also survived by her youngest brother, Ogle, and her sister-in-law Carolyn who was married to her middle brother, B.J. Between the three girls, Veranne has 7 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. She died peacefully in San Antonio on November 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones.

To paraphrase John 21:25, there are many other things Veranne did. If every one of them were written down, I suppose the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

All are invited to join us after the service for a time of fellowship and light refreshments. Location details will be provided at the service.