Nevella Evaline (Waldrip) Hall, 66, of Great Falls, a retired caregiver, lost her battle with cancer on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008, at her home.
A memorial graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday at Highland Cemetery in Havre. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home. Nevella was born June 20, 1942, in Havre, the ninth child of Luther and Valeria Waldrip. Nevella was active in many social groups including the VFW, Eagles Auxillary, Neighborhood Watch, and most recently the Citizens Action Group. In her travels, Nevella has lived in or visited all over the United States and Europe. Her hobbies included cooking, sewing, and her beloved gardening, which occupied her from early spring until the first snow fall each year. Dedicated to helping strangers, Nevella was known to offer a hot meal to a passing stranger or give a hitch hiker a ride. After her son joined the Air Force, Nevella made it a yearly tradition to go down to the bus station and offer any service men or women a place to spend the holiday with a good hot meal and goodie bag to take with them when they resumed their journey. After donating 4,000 hours over two years of volunteer service, Nevella was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2008 in recognition of her dedication to those less fortunate than herself. Nevella was the block captain for the Parkdale Neighborhood Watch. She was also a member of the Weed and Seed Steering Committee a department of Justice Program for High Crime Areas. Her last days were spent peacefully at home surrounded by her family and friends. She is survived by her children, Harold and Susan Waldrip of Biloxi, Miss., and their children, Victoria Pickup Bichester and Paul Twiner Bichester in England; Missy Hall of Reno, Nev., and her children, Ashely Nannenhorn of Reno and Malisa Gilbert and daughter of Great Falls; Paul and Joan (Hall) Hosten of Baltimore, Md.; and Russell and Linda (Hall) McGillis and their children, Preston Good, Sean Lowry and Miranda Good and her son, T.J. Journot, all of Great Falls; sisters, Lorena Rick and Linda (David) Swallow of Havre, June Karfstad of Seattle, Wash., Neomia Bitterman of Atlanta, Ga., and Carolee Walls of Greensboro, Md.; and brother, Ted (Frances) Waldrip of Kent, Wash. She was preceded in death by her parents, Luther and Valeria Waldrip, her son, baby Larson; her brothers, Clinton, Harold and Don Waldrip; and special nephews, Donald, Ted and Keith Drugge. Condolences may be posted online at www.mem.com and/or www.gftribune.com/obituaries.
