Merlene (Mcneill) Hall

Merlene McNeill Hall passed away on May 8th, 2024 at her home surrounded by her family. She was born on November 19th, 1930 to Rollin McNeill and Nola Burton McNeill at the McNeill Ranch on the east end of Vernal, Utah. She had one older sister, Betty Rae Hart, and two younger brothers, Leland and TJ McNeill. She went to school at the Central Elementary and graduated from Uintah High School in 1948. Upon graduating high school she went to work at Mountain Bell Telephone Company as an operator, Chief Operator and Training Supervisor. She greatly enjoyed the 16 years she worked at Mountain Bell and often spoke of her time there fondly. Mom married our dad, Duane Hall, her high school sweetheart in 1952 in Vernal, Utah. They were sealed for time and eternity in the Salt Lake Temple in 1966. Mom and Dad had four children, Mitch (Faye) Hall of Olympia, Washington; Sharlene (Sam) Howard of Vernal, Utah; Stacy Hall, of Provo, Utah; and Clark (Beverly) Hall of Vernal, Utah; 13 grandchildren; 27 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers since 1965, she was very active in the DUP and held many offices throughout the years. Mom was a devout member of the LDS church and served in numerous callings in her ward and stake. She loved her calling at the Family History Center conducting research and working in the Temple. She has submitted over 17,000 names of family members for Temple ordinances that are completed. Our parents built and ran the Duane Hall Trucking Company for 17 years employing over 100 employees in the basin and running 41 owned and 40 leased trucks. Mom was the CFO, comptroller, treasurer, secretary, and bill collector. She was extremely diligent bookkeeper she would spend hours researching to ensure the books balanced. This was before the computer accounting and the work was done by hand with paper trip tickets and a desktop calculator. After the trucking company was sold, mom started a business called Country Critters, creating and selling yard ornaments. While doing this, our Dad re-activated the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Vernal. To assist in fundraising for the VFW and the Veterans Memorial, mom started the Basin Art and Craft Show on the Uintah County Courthouse Lawn in 1991. She organized and ran the show for 25 years. Mom loved her classmates from Uintah High and was a big part in keeping their class reunions going, about 15 years ago, she and others from her class that lived locally would meet monthly to have lunch and reminisce as well as going to the Temple. Mom loved her roses, gardening, canning and yard work. She was also a great hand at knitting, needle point, crocheting, painting and quilting. Lastly, and most importantly mom loved her family - especially her grandkids and great grandkids. She enjoyed getting together for family parties and having family stop in anytime where she would badger you to eat regardless if you were hungry or not. We all have fond memories of the get-togethers at her house. She lived her life on the go. Mom never sat still long, she was always doing something, she was always in a hurry to get those things done and move on to the next project. She tells the story that her dad claimed she never got sick because she didn't slow down long enough to catch anything. When she wanted to go somewhere, she wanted to get there in a hurry--driving with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. Merlene Hall lived her life to the fullest! Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 10AM at the Vernal LDS Stake Center (850 West 100 North). Visitation for family and friends will be held Friday from 6PM~8PM at the Phillips Ashley Valley Funeral Home, and Saturday from 8:30am ~ 9:45am at the church. Interment in the Rockpoint Cemetery under the direction of the Phillips Ashley Valley Funeral Home. In Lieu of flowers please consider make a donation to the Vernal Daughters of Utah Pioneers: Venmo @daughtersof-utahpioneers Donation Mailing Address 186 South 500 West Vernal, Utah 84078

Vernal - Daughters of Utah Pioneers
186 South 500 West, Vernal UT 84078