The HALE Family of Fluvanna/Snyder area. They moved there in 1916 and lived their whole lives there. William Henry and Lonie Jesse Hale. They had 11 children, two of which were born in Snyder: Lura Mae Hale Chambers (1916-1999) and Clara Leota Hale Norris Rhodes (1920-1999) all their other kids were born on the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma.
HALE FAMILY: All research and photos on this page submitted by Cindy Norris; Family Historian
John Dwayne Norris, son of John B. Norris and Clara Leota Hale Norris. Born 17 Jul 1938, in Dermott, Texas. Photo taken in 1947. Dwayne went to Snyder schools all his life and graduated from Snyder High School in May 1956. Shortly after graduation he married Jackie O'Brien Oct 5, 1956 in a double ceremony in Ira, Texas with his step brother and his girlfriend Joe Don Rhodes and Anna Marie Clemmons. Dwayne and Jackie divorced in 1964. Dwayne later married Charlotte Sue May in 1965 in Midland, Tx. They had a son born Aug 5, 1969 in Midland. Soon after, in 1970 Dwayne and Charlotte divorced. Unfortunately we lost his only son SEAN DWAYNE NORRIS on 15 Sep 1990 after a car accident in Illinois. Sean is buried in Elburn, Ill.
Aug 6, 1976 Dwayne married Cindy Louise Wingfield in Midland.
Ethel Hale
Taken in the early 1900's
Sister of William Henry Hale
Gerilynn Haynes
Photo taken about 1928-29 Snyder, Tx
daughter of: Rhoda Hale Haynes and Arlis Haynes - Post, Tx.
grand-daughter of: Wm. Henry and Lonie Hale
Wm. Henry Hale and Gerilynn Haynes
1939 - Fluvanna, Tx
Grandfather and grand-daughter
Lonie Jesse Alafair Keathley Hale and her grandson,
Carl Lee Hale son of Clarence Hale and Vennie (Vena).
If anyone has info on Clarence's wife:Vennie??????
or their children
Carl Lee Hale, Clarisa Hale Please let me know!!!
William Henry Hale (Dec 25, 1872-Feb 3, 1952) Buried in Snyder Cemetery.
Photo taken about 1949
Wm Henry Hale and Lonie Jesse (Keathley) Hale taken
about 1943 Snyder
All three are Lonie and Henry's girls. l to rt
Clara Leota Hale Norris Rhodes, Lura Mae Hale Chambers, Rhoda Lee Hale Haynes
Jess Hale Sr. worked for the RS&P Railroad as a section hand. But every year when the cotton gin began operating, Jess would rent out his job at the railroad and go work the gin job till the end of harvest, then go get his job back at the railroad. Sometime in 1930 he decided to go to work for the Southern Pacific Railroad in California. After many years of maintaining and laying new track, his ability as a track man was well established, and he was greatly respected for his personal character and dependability. In 1937 he became section foreman and they moved their family to a little town called Guadalupe, California. Jess remained there till his death Feb 1963.
Jess and his crew of four men had been out patrolling track , in Santa Maria, California , in wet weather on a little motorcar. In some ill-fated mistake, the train headed towards the motorcar with Jess and his crew on it, did not trigger the light to make the train stop.....as far as Jess and his crew knew the train was still some 40 miles away......instead they looked up and saw the train coming at them .....The crew jumped from the motorcar and began trying to derail it...but it was already too late. The crew was able to jump to the side of the rail, but Jess , the foreman, wasn't quite as lucky. Instead of jumping to the side he jumped in a southerly direction and when the freight train made contact with the motorcar, the motorcar went flying, hitting Jess and killing him instantly. The coroners report stated that Jess died from multiply head and body injuries.
Freda and Bill were in love in high school, and decided they MUST get married. She was 17 and Bill was 18. They went to San Francisco, on a 3 day school vacation ( Washington's Birthday) on the bus which was 270 miles away. There, Bill thought his Uncle Clarence would stand up for them. Bill and Freda had it all planned out. They would marry and be back in school on Tuesday, their marriage remaining a secret till graduation, or so they thought. Bill and Freda seated themselves in the back of the bus and to their horror looked up to see Freda's gym teacher getting on the bus and a close friend of Bill's dad was also boarding the bus. Bill and Freda ducked down in back of the bus and stayed there the whole trip. Once in San Francisco, Bill called his Uncle Clarence Hale, and Clarence went to the bus station to pick up Bill. When Clarence arrived at the bus station, Bill said to him, "Oh by the way, Uncle Clarence, "Oh by the way, this is my girlfriend, Freda". We want to get married. Bill told his uncle that he and his wife Ruby Hale could stand up for them. Clarence was ready to go along with the plan until they found out it took 3 days to get a marriage license in California. But Clarence was willing to go that extra mile for his nephew and girlfriend. He called a buddy, Boomer, because Boomer had a brand new Chevy. Clarence asked Boomer how would he like to take a fast trip to Reno, Nevada? Boomer replied, "Yea, I'll bring my girlfriend," So off all six of them went in the Chevy. By the time they reached Sacramento, the weather had gotten very cold. When they got into the Sierras, it began to snow. They were told by the highway patrol they would need snow chains to go any further. Boomer stopped and purchased the snow chains, drove back onto the highway, with a yell of hi ho silver, and promptly plowed into a snow bank. They finally arrived in Reno about 3am , and after a long wait they got two rooms. Boomer and his girlfriend shared a room and Clarence, Ruby and Freda shared a double bed in the 2nd room and Bill got the cot. The next morning they were off to the courthouse. Freda told the clerk she was 18 and Bill was 21. Clarence and Ruby witnessed that the ages were correct. With license in hand, they headed off to the nearest Methodist Church. The minister had a little bit of time in between sermons and married Bill and Freda in his den. By late afternoon Monday, Bill and Freda were back in Santa Maria, looking forward to school on Tuesday with their "Big Secret". On the way to Freda's house, they met up with some casual friends. When their greeting was " Congratulations", how does it feel to be married", We knew the jig was up!! Their parents were very difficult, but Freda and Bill were adamant, they were married and they were gonna stay that way! That shaky beginning lasted 45 beautiful years until Freda's death in 1987.
Bill worked for United Airlines as a radio electric mechanic. Bill was a flight engineer in Jimmy Carters campaign flight from September to November. He also was Flight Engineer for Richard Nixon. Bill and Freda were invited to the Carter and then the Nixon inaugural balls.