Margaret "Peg" Hall

Margaret Jane "Peg" Hall was a remarkable woman, a woman of incredible strength, character, and love of life, as intelligent as she was compassionate. She was a devoted wife, loving mother and grandmother, and a friend to so many. Most of all, Peg was a woman who taught us to never let life's obstacles stand in the way of our dreams. Peg's story began on a cold winter day in 1936, in the small Upper Peninsula town of Newberry, Michigan. Those were such hopeful times in this country, as President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal had just begun to pull the nation from the quagmire of the Great Depression. Still, times were very hard for so many in 1936. On November 18 that year, Margaret Jane Hall was born, yet in those times of hardship, she was put up for adoption, and soon blessed the lives of Nels and Lucille (Stevens) Holmgren. The Holmgrens were unable to have children, and had adopted a son, Jim, 10 years before. They adopted a third child nearly 10 years after Peg, Audrey Ellen, although she sadly died at just four years old. The family lived in Grand Rapids, where Nels worked as a salesman and artist/painter, while Lucille stayed home to raise the family. When Peg was 10 or 11, the family packed up and moved down the road to Muskegon, settling in the Glenside neighborhood. There Peg attended Bluffton Elementary, and Bunker Middle School. Peg loved that neighborhood, and made many lifelong friends there, and would be very active in organizing reunions later in life. Peg attended Muskegon High School, where she was very active in the Big Red marching band, playing percussion, and also was on the swim team. She graduated in 1955, and promptly went to work as water director at Camp Emery, the YWCA camp. By that time, her family had moved to Big Blue Lake, and the camp was nearby. Not long after graduation, Peg married her high school sweetheart, a wonderful young man named Stuart Hall. The newlyweds lived in Muskegon, where they celebrated the birth of their first child, Jon, in October 1960. Daughter Mary came along in November of 1961, and son Thomas rounded out the happy family in March of 1963. Stuart provided for his growing family by working at Campbell Wyant and Cannon, while Peg stayed home to care for the children. To earn some extra income, Peg worked at the YWCA in the daycare when her kids were young. When they went off to school, so, too, did Peg, earning her teaching degree from Michigan State University. She later went on to earn her Master's degree from Western Michigan University. The family did so much together over the years, and were as close-knit as they come. They went camping together often, to Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon, in Ludington and many other places. They also took many wonderful trips, to Florida, Mackinac Island, to both Disney World and Disneyland, and an incredible, three-month camping trip to the south, the southwest, and eventually to see some family in California. Ever the strong woman she was, Peg took the kids on that trip by herself, while Stuart, without as much vacation time, flew out to meet them in Caliornia and traveled back along northern U.S. In 1970, Peg began working as a special education teacher at Wesley School, a job she loved dearly and was so rewarding to her. Her son Jon was born with epilepsy and special needs, giving Peg the passion and experience for helping other children with special needs, too. She also was very active in the Special Olympics from the time Jon was eight years old, up until a few years ago, serving as a coach and Area Director. She graciously donated her time and energy to the Special Olympics for more than 30 years. Helping children with special needs became Peg's true passion, and she worked as a special education teacher for 34 years, before retiring in 2004. As her daughter Mary remembers, "She just received so much joy from seeing what the kids could learn to do for themselves." That was Peg, though, always sharing her strength with those around her, lifting them up in any way she could. Sadly, her beloved Stuart died unexpectedly from heart failure in 1987, yet Peg soldiered on, just as always. As Mary says, "Mom was one strong lady." Peg persevered through her family, her many friends, and the career for which she was so passionate. She began having health issues, and people urged her to retire, but Peg wouldn't do it, and couldn't do it. She loved those kids too much to say goodbye. Eventually, she relented and retired, although she stayed more active than ever. She was a very adventurous woman, with many varied interests and a curiosity about the world. She began traveling, visiting Las Vegas, New York City, Atlanta, and the Carolinas, among other places. Being the outgoing woman she was, she also joined the Red Hat Society, as well as being a longtime member of Central United Methodist Church. Her health issues forced her to have bariatric surgery to lose weight in 2005, and did she ever! Peg was so proud to lose 130 pounds in a single year! She was doing well, and was within 20 pounds of her goal weight, when she sadly died unexpectedly on Tuesday, January 2, 2007. Her children donated many of her organs to give others life, an act that rang true to Peg's loving, giving and serving nature. Peg was a remarkable woman, so giving, caring and compassionate. She was a lady of incredible character, and incredible strength, which she always used to help others, to lift them up, to be better than they were. Today her strength, and her love, lives on in all who knew her. She will be greatly missed. Surviving are: 2 sons, Jon Hall of Muskegon, Thomas (Rhonda) Hall of Grand Haven; daughter, Mary Deephouse of Muskegon; 4 grandchildren, Heather & Bryan Deephouse, Madeline & Miranda Hall; brother, Jim (Marge) Hall; and her many friends at Jefferson Towers and her special friend, Big Mary. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and a granddaughter, Nancy Casselman. Services are scheduled for Saturday, January 6, 2007, at 3:00 PM at Clock Chapel with Rev. Dr. Randall R. Hansen officiating. Visitation is also Saturday, 1 hour prior to the service at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. Memorial donations may be made to Wesley School. For more information, to leave a memory or upload a photo of Peg, visit her Memory Page at www.lifestorynet.com.