Janet La Rue Hale

Janet L. (Jan) Hale of Tyler – wife, mother, grandma, great grandma and friend to virtually everyone she ever met – died Tuesday evening, Sept. 13. Jan had just celebrated her 86th birthday on August 10 and 45th wedding anniversary on September 2. A Des Moines, IA, native, Jan loved life but her body and spirit had grown weary in this mortal home.

Jan was born August 10, 1936. The second daughter in a family of two boys and two girls, she was active in band and girls’ sports during her high school years. After high school, she worked for a short time as a long-distance telephone operator before going off to college. There, she met and married a fellow student from which a son and two daughters were produced before the marriage ended.

Jan remained single for 11 years, working and raising her three children in Des Moines. It was there that she met Tyler, Texas, native, Charlie Hale. The two married on September 2, 1977, in Plainview, TX. He brought two young boys into the marriage which Jan immediately took under her wing.

During their 45-year marriage, jobs took Jan and Charlie to Plainview and Rockwall, TX; Des Moines, Ankeny and Ames, IA; Eagen, MN; and Durham, NC. Nine years ago, Jan and Charlie couldn’t think of a better place to retire than Tyler, Texas. In each location where the two lived, Jan quickly met and became friends with many in the community. She loved reading and children. In Rockwall, she tutored children with reading difficulties. In Ankeny, Jan was the neighborhood “granny”; all the neighborhood moms knew they could find their youngsters enjoying Jan’s front porch swing and they often found Jan sitting and visiting with the youngsters.

Jan is survived by her husband, Charles; her daughter, Cindy Snyder of Keller, TX; her son & daughter-in law, Jeff & Linda Snyder of Chico, CA; and her stepsons, Chuck Hale and Ken Hale of Cedar Rapids, IA, and Ames, IA, respectively; and her much-loved son-in-law Victor Pisano. She also is survived by her sister, Donna Johnston, of Iowa; eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Beth Pisano of San Antonio, as well as her parents, Don and Helen White, and both of her brothers, John and Jim White, all of Des Moines.

Celebration of Life Services

For Janet (Jan) La Rue White Hale:

Saturday, October 8, 1:00 PM at Emerald Bay Community Church (160 LaSalle Drive Bullard, TX 75757)

Saturday, October 15, 1:00 PM at Ankeny Presbyterian Church (317 SE Trilein Drive Ankeny, IA 50021)

Livestream link of service:

https://www.facebook.com/emeraldbaychurch/

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider a memorial donation to Emerald Bay Community Church; to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, or to your own church or favorite charity.