Louisa M (Shoemaker) Hall

Louisa Mae (Shoemaker) Hall celebrated her 99th birthday in heaven!

She passed away at 9 am on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, in the company of her twin daughters. She was born April 14th, 1922, in Buena Vista, OH to Carl and Neva (Robbins) Shoemaker.

As a child of the Great Depression, circumstances required that she live with her maternal grandparents for the first 6 years of her life, and later was able to return to her parents and two younger siblings Ervin and Helen.

Louisa grew up in the South Bend/Mishawaka area, attended South Bend Central and then Mishawaka High School. She was active in speech and the school student paper staff, and received the DAR Citizenship Award and membership in the National Honor Society.
Louisa met her future husband Lloyd on a double date arranged by relatives. They were each paired with another person. Lloyd liked who he saw, not the one he was with, and they fell in love and were married on August 27, 1942.  Lloyd enlisted in the Army and Louisa followed him wherever he was assigned while in the states, waitressing and doing office work, and even driving trucks for the Army. Louisa's five-foot stature necessitated 2 pillows behind her back and blocks taped to the pedals to accomplish her driving role in a 2-1/2 ton Army truck. 

Lloyd returned from the war and a family legacy began. Louisa and Lloyd had 3 sons and 3 daughters: Curtiss Lloyd (deceased), Thomas, SugarLand, TX, Richard (Pam), Cotopaxi, CO, Marjorie (Art) DeArmond (deceased), Patricia (Michael) Brubaker, Elkhart, and Michelle (Robert) Heiden, Knox. There are 14 grandchildren: Steven Hall, Amy Crawford, Erin Smith, Christine Fischer, Kim Norris, Carla Vining, Jacqueline Knotts, Daniel DeArmond, Julie Rhine, Anne Reed, Jacob Brubaker, Robert Heiden, Matthew Heiden, and Gretchen Martin. One of Louisa’s habits as a Christ-follower and prayer warrior was to place a photograph of one grandchild per week in her living room and pray for them specifically and intentionally. And she would even take prayer requests if it wasn’t “your week”!

There are currently 35 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild on the way.
Louisa was active in the Women’s Circle of the First United Methodist Church and volunteered through the church at Hope Rescue Mission and Bashor Home. She was also active in the Mishawaka High School Alumni Association.

Besides her primary role as wife and mother, she was employed in the Admissions Department at St. Joseph Hospital in South Bend for 18 years. When the hospital was full, she’d go to the chapel to pray with the Director of Nursing that God would either heal the patients or take them home to heaven so there’d be more beds available!   

Her parents; siblings; husband, Lloyd Hall; son, Curtiss Hall; and daughter Marjorie DeArmond preceded her in death.  We wish to acknowledge the exceptional care Louisa received through the Center for Hospice Care, especially Stacey, Keisha, Kristine, Sarah, and Wayne; and from Home Instead, Theresa.

Funeral arrangements have been made through Hahn Funeral Home with visitation at First United Methodist Church of Mishawaka on Sunday, April 18 from 4-6 pm, and on Monday, April 19th beginning at 12 pm prior to the service at 1 pm.  Please follow Covid guidelines. Graveside services for the family will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park. 

Donations may be sent to the following charities which Louisa supported:  Hope Ministries of South Bend, First United Methodist Church of Mishawaka, or Center for Hospice Care. 

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