Current Services

Nancy Ann Hall
10-17-2025

Nancy Hall passed away at age 93 after a long illness from complications of a stroke and Parkinson’s Disease on October 17, 2025 at Sioux Falls Good Samaritan Village. Visitation will be 5 to 7 PM on Thursday, October 23 at Barnett-Lewis Funeral Home with Rosary at 6:30.  Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM at St. Michael Catholic Church on Friday, October 24.

Nancy was born on January 31, 1932 in Mitchell, South Dakota to Leonard and Eva Small. During the Depression, her family moved around to Parkston SD, O’Neill Nebraska and Gregory SD before returning to Mitchell. Nancy said she looked on these moves as an adventure to see what the new house, school and church would be like. Her adaptable nature served her well all her life.

In Mitchell, Nancy attended Notre Dame Grade School and graduated from Notre Dame High School where she was the homecoming queen. Her high school class was not large but kept in touch and she attended many reunions with them over the years. During high school, she worked at G.F. Buche’s Department store and after graduation, she attended Notre Dame Junior College studying secretarial skills and then worked in offices of Farmers Union Insurance and A.F. Smith in Mitchell.

A friend from high school, Mary Jean Dunn, invited her for a weekend visit to USD Vermillion where she met Ed Hall. She decided he was a good catch and they were married June 29, 1953. Jerry and Mary Jean Bollinger were close friends all their lives.  

To this union, 6 children were born: Patricia, Thomas, Joseph, Sandra, David and Barbara. Ed worked all his life after USD graduation at the local Caterpillar Tractor dealership and they started life in Sioux Falls, moved to Brookings for about a year, then back to Sioux Falls in 1961. They were married for 57 happy years and Ed even bought a billboard on Minnesota Avenue to wish her Happy Anniversary one year. 

Ed had the travel bug and so Nancy and Ed took many family car vacations around the U.S. and traveled to Spain, England, France, Costa Rica, including Hawaii and a cruise to Alaska.

Nancy became wonderful wife, homemaker and mother. She was multi-talented and learned every craft that was popular, macramé, antique furniture refinishing, water color painting, and many more. She started sewing as a child and was an excellent seamstress all her life. She hosted in-home craft shows with friends to sell her beautiful creations. She was an Avon lady and Girl Scout leader in her spare time. She became a gourmet cook and was Cook of The Week in the Argus-Leader. Her athletic skills were amazing because she learned to play golf, tennis, and bowling as an adult and was good at all of them, earning 2 Holes-In-One within less than a year. Nancy was a real gamer and was competitive at Bridge and Mahjong which she enjoyed with her friends for years. After her Parkinson’s diagnosis, she had to give up athletics but faithfully attended Rock Steady Boxing class which helped her stay strong.

Nancy was active in church activities and was proud of her Catholic Daughters organization membership for more than 60 years. She was in St. Mary’s Altar Society and sang in the Church choir faithfully for many years at St. Mary’s.

Nancy is survived by her 6 children: Patty McElhaney (Dwight), Sioux Falls; Tom, Los Angeles, CA; JB (Shannon), Loveland, CO; Sandy, Sioux Falls; Dave (Sue), Shoreview, MN, and Barb Herzog (Mike), Forest Lake, MN; and one sister: Lenore Barnett, Escondido, California. She is also survived by 4 granddaughters: Jenny, Aubrey, Risa, and Eva; 4 grandsons: Ethan, Andrew, Liam and Evan; and 2 great-granddaughters. She was preceded in death by her husband: Ed; her parents; sister: Audrey Olson, brother: Darrell Small; and grandson: Coby Herzog.

The family wants to extend thanks to all the dedicated kind staff at The Inn on Westport, Prairie Creek Memory Care and Good Samaritan Village Skilled Nursing for their wonderful care of Nancy.

Memorials may be directed to Furniture Mission in Sioux Falls who were a wonderful blessing during Nancy’s moves, The Parkinson’s Foundation, Bishop O’Gorman Catholic School Foundation, or your favorite charity in her name.