Nora June Dunning Keever Hall, 91, gained her heavenly wings on Saturday, August 26, 2017, while residing at Felton Manor Personal Care Home in Cartersville. She was born on June 1, 1926, to Fred John Dunning and Mary Jane White Dunning in Fort Worth, Texas. She attended a private Catholic school in Fort Worth until her family moved to Sherman, Texas, where she attended elementary and middle grades. The young Nora performed in and attended the “Texas Theatre” where Red Skelton was the emcee before he became the famous television comedian. After eight rounds of singing and dancing to Ervin Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” she won the overall contest which awarded her a guest star appearance in one of the “Our Gang” (later known as “The Little Rascals”) short films where three episodes were written and produced around her as the leading role. She danced and sang many of Shirley Temples’ songs such as “Oh, Johnny” and “The Good Ship Lollipop.” While living in Sherman, she attended school and became friends with Buck Owens, who later became a television comedian and musician on the “Hee Haw” show. Nora June spent her summers as a preteen and teenager with her grandparents in Norman, Oklahoma, where she met and became very good friends with James Baumgardner (later known as James Garner), who became a famous screen and television personality. She later moved to Oklahoma City and graduated from Central High School in 1944 and the University of Oklahoma in Norman.
June always enjoyed the big band music of the era and while serving in the USO during 1944-45, she had the privilege of singing with the Gordon Lee “Tex” Beneke Band, formerly the Glenn Miller Band, singing “At Last” and other big band music.
It was in Norman, Oklahoma, where June met her future husband, Henry Alexander Keever (Bartow County native), U. S. Navy Aviation Machinist Mate, Third Class, while he was stationed there. They were married on August 20, 1945, and lived in Sherman, Texas, and Jacksonville, Florida, where he was stationed for training. They later moved to Atlanta, Georgia, while Henry attended Emory University and June worked in the finance office at Fort McPherson. After Henry graduated from law school, they moved back to his hometown of Cartersville, Georgia, where he opened up his law practice. Together, they were the parents of five children: Don Alex, Dixie Louise, Dan Henry, David Clifford, and Dellie Kay. June graduated from Atlanta Law School in 1960 and helped her husband in the law business while raising five children.
June was active in her children’s schools, her community, politics, church, and the Protective and Benevolent Order of the Elks. She was involved in the schools’ PTA programs, band and choral programs, ran for Bartow County Tax Commissioner (and only lost by a margin), and was always a chaperone for her children in school and church activities.
June began working for Doerr Carpet, which later became Philadelphia Carpet, and is now known as Shaw Industries from 1968 until her retirement in 1994. June was very involved in the Ladies Elk’s Aidmore Auxiliary, having served as the Georgia Elks’ Auxiliary State President from 1986-87. Her passion and devotion was working with the Aidmore Children’s Center.
June married Glyndon Higgins Hall on February 7, 1987, and together they loved working and traveling, serving their church and the Elks, and living life until his death in 2005. June was a member of Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church since prior to making Cartersville her permanent home in 1950. She served as a Sunday School teacher, a youth counselor and chaperone, Vacation Bible School teacher and volunteer, a charter Stephen Minister, member and officer of the Grace Bible Link, secretary of the United Methodist Women for eleven years, treasurer of the Marco Sunday School Class for over twenty years, Prime Timers, and Koinonia groups. June and Glynn enjoyed serving Meals on Wheels and as workers and cashiers for the Wednesday night dinners for as long as their health would allow.
June loved cooking, gardening, dancing, music and theatre, and serving God and others. She was a faithful and selfless person, always putting others’ needs before her own. Even in death, she wanted to continue to give, by donating her body to Emory University School of Medicine for research, but was not accepted due to some health qualifications that caused her body to be declined her at her demise. She is preceded in death by her husband, Glyndon H. Hall, her parents, Fred J. and Mary Jane Dunning, Sherman, Texas; her son Don Alex Keever, Sr., and great grandson Paul Keever. She is survived by four children Dixie Louise Keever, Dan Henry Keever, David Clifford Keever, and Dellie Kay (Jim) Noble, seven grandchildren including Don (Michelle) Keever of Cedartown, Lynn Elizabeth Deering of Adairsville, Mecca Keever, Dan Keever, Jr., Evan (Ashley) Armstrong of Cartersville, Curtis (Blayney) Armstrong of North Carolina, and Kelsi (Seth) Alexander of Dallas, along with eleven great grandchildren (with a twelfth one on the way), and her first great great grandchild. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews who were welcomed in her home during summers and were treated like her own.
She is loved by so many and will be fondly remembered and truly missed. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, September 9, at 3:00 in the afternoon at Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church with Pastors Kevin Lobello and Nena Jones officiating. A reception and visitation in her honor will follow in the church’s Family Life Center.
An intimate graveside service will be held at Sunset Memory Gardens at 2:00 prior to the memorial service.
The family wishes to thank the staff and residents of Felton Manor Personal Care Home, Amedisys Hospice, her special caregivers Cynthia, Taylor, Victoria, and Carrie, Owen Funeral Home, Dr. Christopher Inhulsen, Dr. John Cowan for his many years of caring for her, the Grace Bible Link, Marco Sunday School, and the staff of Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church.
Donations may be made in her memory to Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church or the Marco Sunday School Class, 100 West Church Street, Cartersville, Georgia, 30120, or The Elk’s Aidmore Children’s Center, 2394 Morrison Road, SW, Conyers, GA, 30094 or visit their website elksaidmore.com to make an online donation.
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