| 5. |  Robert Leo "Bob" Hall  (2.Joseph2, 1.Archibald1) was born on 30 Dec 1923 in Warba, Itasca County, Minnesota; died on 18 Oct 2001 in Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota; was buried after 18 Oct 2001 in Itasca Calvary Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota. Other Events:
- Group: Hall Direct Descendant
- Group: Halls of Taunton - DNA Family 024
- 1930 Census: 16 Apr 1930, Warba, Itasca County, Minnesota
- Obituary: 21 Oct 2001, Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota; Grand Rapids Herald Review
Notes:
From Katie G. Nelson, Facebook, August 2025:
Hi everyone, my name is Katie G. Nelson and I'm the granddaughter of Robert Leo "Bob" Hall (Dec. 30, 1923 - Oct. 18, 2001, Itasca County, Minnesota) and Dorothy Hall (Whitener).
I discovered this group while conducting some genealogy research that picked up where my grandfather left off. I'm very happy to be here.
My grandfather, Bob Hall, was truly a rare soul: an exceptionally brilliant poet, writer and photographer; a deeply engaged and charismatic teacher; and a lifelong learner and seeker of the world. He was born in a small town in northern Minnesota, and later moved to the larger city of Grand Rapids, MN.
My grandfather began his adult life in the Army Air Corps and then as a telegraph operator for the Great Northern Railroad for 22 years before returning to college in his late 40s to earn a master's degree in English literature from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He then taught English literature at Itasca Community College for 21 years.
He also ran as an Independent candidate for the State Legislature, tested into the high-IQ society MENSA, spent endless hours learning and exploring with his children and grandchildren, and enjoyed designing his own macro camera lenses that produced a unique bokeh pattern when photographing close-up subjects — such as the Showy Lady's Slipper flower, his favorite.
Bob became deeply engaged in genealogy research in the later part of his life, traveling the world interviewing descendants of the Hall family and documenting lineages.
Just a few years before he passed, he self-published the culmination of that work: a 600-page book on Hall genealogy. Only a few paper copies exist today, and one is in my family's home in Minnesota. This fall, I'll begin digitizing the book so it's preserved — I'll share updates as it unfolds. I'm sure he would be thrilled to share his work with this group.
As for me, I am a journalist, photographer, and filmmaker. I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and moved to Kenya at 20 years old, where I lived for nearly 12 years. My work began in public health and later transitioned into investigative journalism, focusing on human rights, global health, and accountability across the East African region.
I returned to the United States during the COVID pandemic and began working for The New York Times, covering racial justice issues and government accountability. I am now based in New York City, but travel frequently.
Although I never had the chance to photograph alongside my grandfather, I do believe much of his keen ability "to see" was passed on to me, and I'm grateful for that.
You can see some of my work on my website here - www.katiegnelson.com - and I've posted some photos of my grandfather below.
Please feel free to reach out and I'll keep you posted on the archival project as it unfolds.
Birth:
Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Name: Robert Leo Hall [Robert L Hall]
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birth Date: 30 Dec 1923
Birth Place: Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Father Name: Joseph A Hall
Mother Name: Nettie G Day
Death Date: 18 Oct 2001
Type of Claim: Original SSN.
Notes: Jul 1940: Name listed as ROBERT LEO HALL; 07 Nov 2001: Name listed as ROBERT L HALL
_____________
Ancestry.com. Web: Minnesota, Birth Index, 1900-1934
Name: Robert Leo Hall
Birth Date: 30 Dec 1923
Birth Place: Itasca, Minnesota, USA
Father's Surname: Hall
Mother's Maiden Name: Day
Certificate Number: 1923-13298
Name: Hall, Robert Leo
Birth Certificate Index | Text | 1923-13298
Birth: December 30, 1923
County of Birth: Itasca County, Minnesota, United States
Mother's Maiden Name: Day
http://people.mnhs.org/finder/bci/1923-13298
Group:
A person who is a direct descendant of any colonial New England Hall Family
Group:
Descendants of George Hall of Taunton, Massachusetts.
1930 Census:
ED 54, sheet 1A
Hall, Joe A. Head M W 30 Md 18 MN MO MN Farmer - General Farming
---, Grace W. Wife F W 29 Md 17 MO MO MO
---, Archibald F Son M W 10 S MN MN MO
---, Kenneth G, Son M W 8 S MN MN MO
---, Robert L. Son M W 6 S MN MN MO
Obituary:
Robert L. "Bob" Hall
Dec. 30, 1923 - Oct. 18, 2001
Robert L. "Bob" Hall, 77, Grand Rapids, died Thursday Oct. 18, 2001 at his home from colon cancer.
He was born Dec. 30, 1923, to Joseph and Grace Hall of Warba. He grew up in Warba and attended school in Warba and Grand Rapids. In September, 1943, he joined the Army Air Corps an served on B-24 bombers as a radio operator and gunner until March 1946. While in the service he attended Michigan State University. He met Dorothy Whitener at a USO dance and they were married Jan. 26, 1946 in Fort Worth, Texas. Following his discharge, he moved to Warba and worked as a station agent and telegraph operator for the Great Northern Railroad for 22 years. During this time, he also repaired radios and televisions in the area and served as mayor of Warba for 10 years. In 1960, he returned to college, attended Itasca Community College and the University of Minnesota, Duluth and graduated with an English major and master's degree in literature. He moved to Grand Rapids in 1964 and taught a short time at Grand Rapids Middle School and High School. He then taught English at Itasca Community College for 21 years, retiring in 1987.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; two daughters, Karen Tarbuck Nelson, Minneapolis and Kristi Ferraro, Grand Rapids; two brothers, Archie, Warba and Kenneth, El Cajon, Calif.; three grandchildren, Steven Tarbuck of Gallatin, Tenn., Kathryn Nelson and Megan Ferraro; and two great-grandchildren.
Services: Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 11 a.m. at Community Presbyterian Church. Visitation is Monday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the church.
Burial: Itasca Calvary cemetery, Grand Rapids, with military honors.
Arrangements by Libbey Funeral Homes, Grand Rapids.
Died:
Name: Hall, Robert Leo
Death Certificate Index | Text | 2001-MN-530457
Death: October 18, 2001
County of Death: Itasca County, Minnesota, United States
Mother's Maiden Name: DAY, Date of Birth: 12/30/1923 00:00:00, Place of Birth: MINNESOTA
http://people.mnhs.org/finder/dci/2001-MN-530457
Robert married Dorothy "Dot" Whitener on 26 Jan 1946 in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas. Dorothy was born on 21 Nov 1925 in Dawson, Navarro County, Texas; died on 22 Nov 2014 in Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota; was buried after 22 Nov 2014 in Itasca Calvary Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1859 - 1935 (76 years)
