Oather “Neal” Hale October 12, 1933 ~ June 15, 2023 89 Years Old

Memorial services for Neal Hale, 89, of Portales, will be held at 10:00 AM, Sat., June 24, 2023 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel.  Private interment of his ashes will be in Fort Sumner, NM.

Oather Neal Hale, known to family and friends as Neal, was born oct. 12, 1933 in Caddo, OK to the home of Mildred Clyde (Brister) and Oather Hale, and died at his home in Clovis early on the morning of June 15, 2023.  The family moved to the Lingo community when he was a small child.  He attended the first and second grades at the Lingo School, before the family moved to a farm south of Portales.  Mr. Hale graduated from Portales High School in 1951.  Following graduation, he attended a semester at Eastern New Mexico University before beginning his lifetime career for the railroad.

On June 3, 1961 in San Jon, NM he was married to Bernice Bell.  For many years he was the Dispatcher in the Clovis office.  In 1989, he was transferred to the Albuquerque office.  Mr. Hale retired in 1990 after 39 years as the Chief Dispatcher for the New Mexico Division.

In 1993, he and his wife moved to Ruidoso, where they made their home until 2006.  For the next three years, they enjoyed living in their motor home and seeing the country.  In 2007, they bought a home in Clovis which they completely remodeled.  Through the years, they enjoyed cruises to Jamaica, Alaska, and the Cayman Islands.

Mr. Hale enjoyed going to coffee with his old railroad friends and reminiscing about their years together.  Over the years, he and his good friend, J. D. Cole and their families went on hunting and fishing trips together.  Mr. Hale was a member of the First Baptist Church in Portales.  He was also a member of Portales Masonic Lodge AF&AM, and he and Mrs. Hale were members of the Order of the Eastern Star.  Mr. Hale was a Past Worthy Patron of the chapter.

He is survived by Bernice, his wife of over 62 years of their home; his daughters and sons-in-law, Laura and Troy Messer of Midland, TX and Lis Hale and her husband, Howard miller of Portales; and his son and daughter-in-law, Larry Neal and Tonya Hale of Amarillo, TX; two additional daughters, Jacque Cash of Leesville, LA and Kathy and Ron Davis of Conway, AR; several grandchildren, including T. J. Messer, Shaycee Lawing and Tyler Lawing; a great-grandchild, Ryker Schulein; and a sister-in-law, Ronda Hale Earls of Rio Hondo, TX.  He was preceded in death by three brothers, Norman Wayne Hale, Weldon “Pete” Hale and Jerry Hale, who died as a small boy and a sister, Nina Jo Grimshaw.

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