Funeral for retired Staff Sgt. Lafayette Evans Hall Sr., 85, of Lawton, OK, was held at Union Baptist Church (1601 SW Dr. C.W. Whitlow Avenue) in Lawton, OK. Dr. C.W. Whitlow officiated. Mr. Hall died Feb. 13, 2015, in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Burial with military honors was in Post Cemetery, Fort Sill, under direction of Howard-Harris Funeral Services, Lawton.

He was born April 10, 1929, in Prentiss, MS., to Grady and Pearlie Hall. The family moved to Columbia, MS, where he was raised. He is a 1951 graduate of Marion County Training School in Columbia. Later, he moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he enlisted in the Army in August 1951. A Vietnam veteran, he also served his country during the Korean Conflict and during peacetime. His tours of duty included numerous assignments in and outside of the United States. Having served 21 years in the military, he honorably retired in August 1977. After his retirement from military service, he attended Great Plains Technology Center and acquired a new career as a skilled carpenter.

He married Melvelene Anderson on Oct. 25, 1985, in Lawton. He was a faithful member of Union Baptist Church for 30 plus years. He served with various ministries of the church including the Brotherhood Choir where he sang and served as secretary. He also sang in the church choir, the Mission Choir, and Inspirational Choir and he regularly attended Sunday school.

Survivors include his caring, devoted and loving wife; six children, Carmen Smith (Herbert) of Kent, WA, Lafayette E. Hall Jr. of Montgomery, AL, Grady Hall (Shirley), Broken Arrow of OK, and Lanet Hall of Roanoke, VA., Ronald Anderson of Gilbert, IL., and Wayne Anderson of Chicago, IL; 23 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, other relatives, neighbors, his church family and friends.

His parents and all siblings, Pauline, Maggie, Martha, Columbus, Harry and Louis, preceded him in death.