George Hale

Funeral services for George Lafayette Hale Jr., 78, of Washington, were held Tuesday, February 23, 2010, at the First Baptist Church, Washington, with Rev. Albert Huyck and Rev. W.C. Bentley officiating. Interment was in Resthaven Cemetery. He died February 20, in the Medical College of Georgia Hospital, Augusta.
Mr. Hale was born in Morristown, Tennessee, and was the son of the late George L. Hale and the late Selma Susong Hale. He graduated from Morristown High School in 1950, and enlisted in the United States Air Force for four years. He was deployed to Puson, Korea, during the Korean War. He returned home to enroll at East Tennessee State University. In 1957, he and his wife, Vada King Hale, moved to Washington where he started H&H Dairy and Cattle Farm. He was past-president of the Washington Rotary Club; a member of the Wilkes County Cattlemen’s Association, and the Wilkes County Board of Directors for the 4-H and FFA Cattle Show. He was a member and past-president of the Wilkes County Artificial Breeders Service and was a member of the University of Georgia Dairy Herd Improvement Association where he won many cream of the crop awards. He was “Man of the Year” in Soil Conservation in 1968 for the Wilkes County Broad River Soil & Water Conservation District. In 1985 he was named Wilkes County Cattlemen’s Association Commercial Dairy Producer of the year. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Washington, and the Friendship Sunday School Class.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Vada King Hale; three daughters and sons-in-law, Dr. Jayna Hale Newell and David Newell of Augusta, Laura Hale Kelly and Mike Kelly, North Augusta, S.C., and Ann Hale Smith and Jeff Smith of Siloam; three sisters, Sara Pat Hale Brown, Morristown, Tenn., Harriett Hale Parker, Mars Hill, N.C., and June Hale Clark of Johnson City, Tenn; and four grandchildren, Benjamin Hale Newell of West Point, N.Y., Sean Michael and George Stewart Kelly of North Augusta, S.C., and B.J. Smith of Athens.
Pallbearers included Frank Bentley, Sonny Ansley, Rick Price, Steve Hale, Willard Lance, and Norris Ware. Honorary pallbearers included the members of the Friendship Sunday School Class, and Bobby Rachels, Sam Hale, Tommy Hale, and Kyle Hale.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church, Washington, P.O. Box 603, Washington 30673.
Hopkins Funeral Home of Washington was in charge of arrangements.