SARA NELL PEARSON

Mrs. Sara Nell Pearson, age 79 of the Liberty Community of North Walton County passed away in the early morning hours of Saturday, January 8, 2022 in Ascension Sacred Heart Bay in Panama City surrounded by her family.   She was born June 23, 1942 in Florala, Alabama the daughter of Horace Cecil Hall and Mable Louise Harrison Hall.  Sara Nell grew up in the Liberty Community on the family’s farming operation and attended Walton County Schools, graduating with Walton’s Class of 1960.  Any who knew Cecil Hall knew that he provided well for his family, but “to whom much is given, much is required”, so Sara Nell knew the meaning of hard work.  One afternoon Sara Nell and her sister went to the “picture show” as it was called in that day and upon leaving the theater an old classmate of Sara Nell grabbed the hem of her dress and told her to sit down and chat a while.  Truth is, as family legend recalls the incident, the handsome young suitor was actually trying to grab the hem of Sara Nell’s sisters dress.  But, not to tempt fate, six months later, the suitor, Milton M. Pearson, Jr. and Sara Nell Hall were married in the courthouse in Andalusia, Alabama, a marriage that would span some 59 years and produce two daughters and three grandchildren.  The “Crisis” in Viet Nam was in its heyday and during the height of the war, young guys like Milton were being drafted right and left, unless, that is, they were still in school.  Milton got wind that his name was about third from the top for the next draft so he went back to college at Troy State Teacher’s College and got his degree, which, frankly he should have done in the first place.  With that degree he was able to secure a very lucrative job at Site C-6 making about three times the normal pay of the day.  Paid every two weeks, his first check, a little over two hundred dollars, which believe it or not was a fantastic salary for the 60’s, he faithfully brought that first pay check home to Sara Nell and half of the check was immediately put into savings/investment.  Sara Nell from that day forward was the Chief Financial Officer of the Pearson family household.   All girls in the 60’s were multi talented and Sara Nell was no exception.  She cooked, she hunted, she managed the household, she worked in her flower beds and she made certain that the Hall Family Tradition of “hard working Christians” spilled over into her family.  She taught the adult women’s class and was the training union instructor at church.  Because of her love of beauty in God’s creation she opened and operated Pearson Florist and Gifts until ill health prevailed.  Never-the-less Sara Nell never lost her zest for life, her love of people, her caring and sincere compassion for others and love for the excitement of  Atmore, Alabama.   Sara Nell lived every moment of her life and when she could fight no longer, in the early morning hours of January 8th, she left to go make ready a place in paradise for those whom she loved so dearly on Earth.

Among survivors are her husband, Milton, her daughters Tonya Davis and husband Pete and Sonya Alford and husband Alex.  Her grandchildren, Jeremy, Allie and Hayden; her brother, James Cecil Hall and wife Ann and her sister, Shirley Ward and husband Bruce.

Among those asked to serve as pallbearers are Dalton Bodie, Garrett Bodie, Adam Hall, Will Hall, Hayden Alford and A.J. Neal.   Floral arrangements are being accepted.  A time of visitation will be Tuesday, January 11, 2022 from  11 until Noon in Cluster Springs Baptist Church with the funeral beginning at Noon with Reverend David Amason and Reverend Russell Hughes officiating.  Burial will follow in the Hall Family Plot in Cluster Springs Cemetery.  Friends and family may go on line to view obituaries, offer condolences and sign the guest register at jerryevansfuneralhome.com