Mercedes Williams Hall

Mercedes Williams Hall departed this mortal life quietly, in her sleep, on Tuesday, January 5, 2016. Mercedes, the daughter of Elmer and Cornelia Champagne Williams was a devoted Catholic and a lifelong member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. Mercedes drew great comfort from her family and her church during these 90 years of her life. Mercedes, or Tootsie as she was nicknamed, began her life on December 1, 1925, in Biloxi, Mississippi. She was the youngest daughter of Elmer William, co-founder of DeJeans Packing Company and the “Apple of her father’s eye.” Mercedes always attended Catholic Schools and had many lifelong friendships there. Her friendships from boarding at St. Mary of the Pines, Chatawa, Mississippi included Shirley O’Dwyer and Pat Crosby. Later in her life her circle of friends increased to include Pat Welch, Maryanne Ederer and weekly visitor, Susie Moran. In recent years she has lived and been excellently attended by the loving and caring staff at Lemoyne Place. Mercedes married Leon D. Hall, former Captain and Army pilot on May 7, 1945. They were the beloved parents of Sandra Nell and David Williams Hall. Leon and Mercedes were especially enriched by their close and enduring friendships with Jerry and Annette O’Keefe and Deedy and Donald Munro with whom they had great adventures. Mercedes is preceded in death by her mother, Cornelia Williams; her father, Elmer Williams; and her dear sister, Anna Mae Williams Favret; her son, David Williams Hall; and her grandson, David Williams Hall, II. She is survived by her daughter, Sandra Hall; her niece, Cornelia Ann Favret; her daughter-in-law, Lori Gladney Hall; her grandson, Joshua Inglis Anderson; her granddaughter, Alexandra Mercedes Diaz-Hall; and her great-grandchildren, Kendall and Caleb Hall. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to either the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum or St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Ocean Springs, MS. A Memorial Service will be held at the Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 2:00 pm. Friends may visit from 1:00 pm until service time.