Margaret Elaine Ward Hallum peacefully passed away at home on the morning of September 5, 2022. She was 84 years young. Elaine was the eldest daughter of Francis and Vivian Ward of Fitzgerald, Georgia. Born in Macon, Georgia on November 22, 1937 she grew up in Fitzgerald where she attended Fitzgerald High School and was honored as its first Homecoming Queen. After graduating she attended Emory University in Atlanta where she met and later married the love of her life, Alton Venson Hallum, Jr. Together, along with their two young children, Alton Venson Hallum, III (Hank) and Madalyn Hollingsworth Hallum (Holli), they spent three and a half years at Clark Airforce Base in the Philippines while Al served as a surgeon and captain in the USAF. They returned to Atlanta in 1967 and made their home with their children, and were later joined by Elaine’s youngest sister Francine. As a family they enjoyed many vacations out west on horse-packing trips in Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana. It was important to Al and Elaine that their children gain an appreciation for the natural beauty found in National Parks across a variety of states. Elaine and Al engaged in many adventures together, serving for a time as part of a medical mission to the Navajo population in Arizona, took in the Albuquerque International Hot-Air Balloon Festival in New Mexico several times, and lived for a time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and London, England.
Their adventures continued as they transitioned to their cherished roles as grandparents and they took trips with grandchildren and other members of their extended family to the Grand Canyon and to the beaches of Cape San Blas and St. George Island in Florida. Upon their retirement, they moved to their dream home in the mountains of Big Canoe, Georgia and became very active in their faith community at Holy Family Episcopal Church where Elaine served in a number of roles, most notably as the founder of its Telephone Outreach Ministry to those communicants who found themselves home- bound for a time. Together, Al and Elaine helped establish The Good Samaritan Center to serve the needs of the Jasper, Georgia community. In the fall of 2013, Elaine and Al relocated to Jackson, Mississippi to be nearer to their daughter Holli and her family.
After Al’s untimely passing in the summer of 2014, Elaine continued to live at The Blake for a time until she and her family made the choice to have her move-in with them permanently. There she spent her final years “holding court” in her wing of the home, enjoying her favorite old movies (mostly classic Western films), having a glass or two of wine on weekly “Thirsty Thursday” evenings, and entertaining family, visitors and sitters alike with stories from her childhood days in Fitzgerald and her wonderful years with Al.
One always knew where one stood with Elaine. Her love was as big as her laugh.
Our hearts are broken that Elainie is no longer on this earth with us. We rejoice in the fact that she and Al are together once again. And this time it is for eternity.
Elaine was preceded in death by her parents, Vivian and Francis Ward, her sister Carolyn Conner, nephew Wrad Bailey, and her husband , Al Hallum. She is survived by her sister, Francine Liles (Lee), Her daughter Holli Roach (Dan), and a son, Hank Hallum (Jenny). Her grandchildren are Molly Carmichael (Lee), Justice Choate-Privette (Michael), Patrick Roach, Andrew Roach (Sara), Madalyn Roach, Alton Hallum "Jace" Roach, Sam Hallum, Claire Dodd (Brock), and Jacob Hallum. Great grandchildren Maggie and Charlie Choate-Privette. And a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November, 12, 2022 and a reception will follow in the Parish Hall of Holy Family Episcopal Church at 202 Samaritan Road, Jasper, GA, 30143. The time is to be determined.
Our family would like to thank the Geriatric , Pulmonary, and Cardiology teams at UMMC for taking such excellent care of Elaine over the past eight years. We’d like to thank Sitters, LLC inparticular, Quannette Colbert, Rose Mary Bennett, Kathy Lewis, Lazita Miller, and Yvonne Patton. They each loved and cared for Elaine like she was their own mother. We would also like to offer our deepest appreciation for Hearts of Hospice. In particular Yana Knight, RN and Dr. Joe Pressler.
In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to St. Andrews Episcopal Cathedral, 305 East Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39201, Holy Family Episcopal Church, 202 Griffith Road, Jasper, GA 30143, Good Samaritan Health & Wellness Center, 175 Samaritan Drive, Jasper, GA 30143.
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