Sarelda Catherine (Stone) Hall passed away from cancer on November 4, 2012 at the house near Pearland, Texas. She was born August 17, 1923 in northeast Phillips County, Kansas where she remained a lifelong resident until two years prior to her passing when she moved to Texas for radiation treatment and to be cared for by her children.

Sarelda was the fourth child born to Cora Catherine (Kirk) Stone and Clarence Dewey (better known as C.D.) Stone. She had two older brothers, Earl Stone and Harold Stone; one older sister, Esther Stone; and one younger brother, Dean Stone.

Always active and full of life, Sarelda loved to stay busy. She did volunteer work and held several professional positions throughout her life, and even while she battled cancer into her late 80's, she continued working full time with the people whose company she so enjoyed.

Sarelda began her teaching career immediately after high school, then received her Elementary Education Teachers Certificate from Kearney State Teachers College and Colorado State Teachers College in Greeley. For eleven years, she taught multiple grades simultaneously in a one-room rural schoolhouse north of Republican City, Nebraska and second and fifth grades in Alma, Nebraska.

After teaching, Sarelda worked five years as a teller and book-keeper at the Harlan County Bank in Alma, Nebraska. It was during that time that friends introduced her to Gene Halloway Hall.

Sarelda and Gene had been dating for two years when Gene asked his sister, Vara Hall LaFoy, who was living in France at the time, to send him some French perfume to give to Sarelda. As a joke, Vara wrote a note to send along with it that said "Marry me, Sarelda," but the joke was on Vara, because Gene had asked Sarelda to marry him just the week before. From that moment on, Sarelda became a valued and loved member of the Hall family.

Sarelda and Gene were married on March 16, 1958 at the Lutheran Church in Alma, Nebraska. After their honeymoon and waiting for the 6 feet of snow that fell on their wedding day to melt, Sarelda moved into Gene's home and began managing their farm and homestead, 4.5 miles southeast of Kirwin, Kansas. Their lives became even busier when over the next several years, Cynthia Maureen and Lott Matthew were born.

Both Gene and Sarelda were very active in the Phillips County community with civic activities, 4-H, and Boy Scouts. They also enjoyed spending time with neighbors around Kirwin, playing cards with friends and family, visiting friends who had homes around the Harlan County Lake, and nice vacations in the mountains and around the country with friends and relatives.

Sarelda's life changed in 1988 when Gene died. Her children had already left home to lead their lives. Sarelda was alone on the farm and wanted to keep her life as active as it always had been. So, she began working part time for the University of Michigan Research Center. For the next two years, she conducted interviews and filled out research surveys around the Phillips County area. She also continued her volunteer work for the Phillips County Blood Drive, VFW, Kirwin American Legion, and various other community activities.

While doing all of that and still working part time for the University of Michigan, she began working part time for the State of Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Service (SRS) in Phillipsburg, Kansas driving foster care children to various appointments and visitations throughout the state. After a couple of years, she left her University of Michigan position to work full time at SRS as a Program Support Worker and eventually worked her way up to Human Services Specialist. She retired after more than 20 years on December 31, 2010.

Sarelda loved gardening of vegetables and tending to her rock garden. On most vacations to the mountains, the family stopped all along the way searching for colorful rocks then weighing down the trunk of the car with several pounds of them to add to her collection.

Of all the places in the world, Sarelda most wanted to go to Alaska. She finally got to go when her son took her on a cruise to Alaska for her 83rd birthday, a trip she very much enjoyed.

Sarelda was a big Kansas State University football and basketball fan. She enjoyed watching those games throughout the years and right up to and including on the day of her passing.

Sarelda's family and many friends loved her and will miss her. She was proceeded in death by her parents, C.D. and Cora Stone; brothers, Earl Stone and his wife Ruth, Harold Stone and his wife Louise, and Dean Stone; her sister, Esther Stone; and her husband, Gene Hall.

She is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Hall, and son, Lott Hall of Pearland TX; and sisters-in-law, Vara (Hall) LaFoy of Fort Smith, AR, and Esther (White) Stone of Alma, NE; nieces, Janice (Stone) Valentino, Connie (Stone) Klemm, Carla (Stone) Merklein, Vara Lee LaFoy; and nephews, Leroy Stone, and Gary Stone.

Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, November 10, 2012 in the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, with Pastor Paul Ferrarone officiating.  Burial followed in the Alma Cemetery, Alma, Nebraska.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Kirwin Wellness Center.