JOEL HALE

The following bio was taken from page 221 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Cemeteries of Texas

Since the Hale family is traced back to 1650 in other articles in this book, I will begin my account with Howell Pope Hale (1839-1886), who came to this county from Tennessee in 1850. Howell Hale served in the 10^th Cavalry of the Confederacy from October 10, 1861 until January 23, 1865. Three days before Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox, he married Sue Morgan. The history of their eldest son, Joel, follows.

Joel Neill Hale was born and reared in Rusk County. He married Agness Catherine Christie (1870-1911), and they had nine children, one of whom died in infancy. The eight who survived are the following: Howell Pope Hale (1891-1949), Joseph Christie, James Pickens, Joel Barney, Ivy Janet, Mary Agness, Jeffie Melinda, and Annie Catherine.

Joel Hale served the county eighteen years as sheriff, retiring from the office on his own accord in 1922. His record as peace officer for the enforcement of law and his fearlessness in the discharge of his duties are unexcelled in Texas. One of his most outstanding characteristics was his loyalty to his friends. No man ever held public office in Rusk County who had more friends than Joel Hale.

Three of Joel Hale’s sons worked for Chicago Bridge and Iron Works, which built in Henderson a water tower that still stands. The sons traveled from job to job and once went to Hominy, Oklahoma to build some water towers. There the youngest son, Barney, saw a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl downtown. He remarked to his companion, "I am going to marry that girl." Later he was surprised to learn that he had rented a room in the boarding house of the girl’s mother. Barney was there when the admired one, Opal Hayes, came home from school that afternoon. Three weeks and four days later Barney and Opal were married, and Opal joined the traveling Hale boys. She still enjoys telling about the fact that the second boy, Chris, taught her how to cook. This marriage lasted thirty-six years until Barney’s death in 1955. The couple had three sons – Jack, J. B., and Fred Rex – and two daughters, Mary and Jo Ann.

Later a job came up in Kirksville, Missouri. There Chris and Jim found two sisters, Virgie and Leta Wadell, whom they married and brought back to Texas. Chris and Verge had twin sons, Joel Neill and Ora Theadore. Jim and Leta lost their first child, but in 1930 had a daughter, Virginia.

The four Hale girls did not leave Rusk County as their three brothers had, but remained home with the older brother, Howell. Howell married Gladys Futch and was for many years a partner with Percy Cannon in "Cannon-Hale Cleaners."

Ivy Hale married Jessie Knight from Arp and had two daughters, Nannie Katherine and Betty Jean. The Knight family lived in Dallas for many years.

Mary Agness married Ray Smith and moved to Georgia. They lost a baby, and from this pregnancy Mary lost most of her vision.

Jeffie became a teacher, but since she did not enjoy teaching, she trained to be a nurse at Methodist Hospital in Houston. She later served as supervisor at Henderson Memorial Hospital. Jeffie married Norman Langwell and had one daughter, Jan.

Ann married Fred Moore and moved to Upland, Indiana. The folks there could not understand why Mrs. Moore did not work as the women up North did, but in those days women from Texas did not work outside the home unless they wanted to do so. Ann and Fred raised two boys, Joel and Fred. Joel holds a Ph.D. Fred works for the FBI in Washington, D.C. (See Joel Hale family chart in special section.)

Submitted by Fred Rex Hale