Lois Lorene Hale

Lois Talkington Hale, 103, of Decatur and formerly of La Place, Ill., died Dec. 18, 2025.

Lois was born in Tenney, Minn., on Aug. 25, 1922. Her parents, Charles Cleveland Talkington (Cleve) and Mathilda Cawelti Talkington, moved the family to Illinois when Lois was 3, following a fire that destroyed their Minnesota home.

Growing up, Lois was one of eight children who lived with their parents in a small house in Hammond, Ill., during the Depression. Times were tough then, so Lois began working at the Hammond Telephone office at age 16. It was the start of a work ethic that kept her working mostly seven days a week until she and husband Arvol retired in 1982 after 40 years of running a restaurant/service station.
Throughout her life, Lois loved cheeseburgers, Coco-Cola, strawberries, cherries, ice cream, blue jeans and Sketchers. She also was passionate about bowling, cardinal birds and watching the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and Illinois basketball. Regularly, she often expressed her strong opinions regarding the managers and coaches (they were never good enough). In addition, she loved her friends and was a member of the MOMs club they formed at Primrose Retirement Community of Decatur.
In addition to Arvol, whom she married Nov. 15, 1942, in Palmyra, Mo., Lois deeply loved her surviving family: son Ron (Rita) Hale; son Larry (Ann) Hale; daughter Deb Hale (Ken) Kirchner; brother Cleve Talkington; sister-in-law Wanda Whitted Talkington; brother-in-law Herman Hale; granddaughters Katie Kirchner and Alyssa (Shawn) Zerges; six great-grandchildren; plus numerous nephews and nieces, including Mary Lou Replogle.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Arvol; siblings and spouses Violet (Andy) Talkington Anderson, Donald Talkington, Bernice (H. Leonard) Talkington Neathery; Francis (Marie) Talkington; Lloyd (Esther) Talkington; Norma Jean Talkington; grandson Justin Hale; and several in-laws.

Her family extends their sincere thanks to the staff at Primrose, where she had lived since 2015, the staff at The Arc at Hickory Point, who supported and cared for her in the last months of her life, as well as the compassionate staff of Enhabit Home Health & Hospice.

A Celebration of Life for this amazing woman will be held Tuesday, March 24, at Tanzyus Logan Funeral Service and Care at 2442 North Route 121, Decatur, Ill. Visitation starts at 10 a.m., followed by a service at 11 a.m. Guests are invited to wear red, Lois’ favorite color, if they wish.

Please sign the family guestbook.