8. Charles Ernest³ Hall (George A.², Johannes¹)⁽¹⁰⁶⁸⁾ was born in Van Wert, Van Wert Co., OH 29 Jan 1864.⁽¹⁰⁶⁹⁾ Charles died 6 Mar 1938 in Gresham, Clackamas Co., OR, at age 74.⁽¹⁰⁷⁰⁾ His body was interred Aft 7 Mar 1938 in Hutchinson, Reno Co., KS.⁽¹⁰⁷¹⁾

He married Nida K. Waterfield 19 May 1891 in Hutchinson, Reno Co., KS.⁽¹⁰⁷²⁾ Nida was born 22 Mar 1867 in Felicity, Clermont Co., OH.⁽¹⁰⁷³⁾ Nida⁽¹⁰⁷⁴⁾ was the daughter of William W. Waterfield and Mary Elizabeth Frazier. Nida died 5 Jun 1944 in Hutchinson, Reno Co., KS, at age 77.⁽¹⁰⁷⁵⁾ Her body was interred Aft 5 Jun 1944 in Hutchinson, Reno Co., KS.⁽¹⁰⁷⁶⁾ Nida was employed 1919, in Hutchinson, Reno Co., KS.⁽¹⁰⁷⁷⁾

Much of the life of Charles Ernest Hall is a mystery. From the time of his birth in Van Wert, Ohio⁽¹⁰⁷⁸⁾ , until the age of ten, no record can be found of his whereabouts. The only evidence is that he was not present in any of the records or family and child photographs of George A. Hall's family in Van Wert, Ohio, of which there are many. Charley moved to Hutchinson, Kansas to live with his Aunt Irene and Uncle Leander Bigger in 1875, shortly after their marriage, which coincides with the death of his grandmother, Diadamia Pancoast Chaffin. Family tradition states Aunt Irene and Uncle Leander asked Charley if he would like to come live with them.* Charley's children remembered him as a gentle, kind man...a dreamer, who could never settle into the business world. He dabbled in the florist profession, real estate, appraisal work and finally settled into an abstract and title company in Hutchinson. However, his greatest interests were horticulture and astronomy. His granddaughter, Elise Collins, says the family suffered financially because Charley spent family funds to purchase trees and plant them in the parkways of Hutchinson's streets. Around 1913, after the death of Uncle Leander, Nida Waterfield Hall ran Charley out of Hutchinson, which was very upsetting to her oldest son. She hid this for several years and with the assistance of her son, Richard B. Hall, Sr., developed the abstract and title business into Hall Abstract & Title, a very prestigous business in turn-of-the-century Hutchinson. By 1924, Nida was calling herself a widow ⁽¹⁰⁷⁹⁾ and Charley's whereabouts had been unknown for around ten years. Speculation is that he was in Florida for a while, then moved to Oregon.** Around 1927, Richard Bruce Hall, Jr. met his grandfather for the first time, when Charley came to visit them in Kansas City. Highlights of that visit included going outside at night, while grandfather identified the various heavenly constellations to his grandson. Charley told Richard, Jr. that he owned an apple orchard in Gresham, Oregon. Charley died in Gresham, Oregon in 1938 and his obituaries finally made Nida a true "widow". Nida died six years later, an influencial woman in Hutchinson society.

*This indicates the probability Charley was living with the Chaffins prior to Diadamia's death. At age 13 when Charley was born, Irene was present in the Chaffin home during most of Charley's childhood. She had probably assisted her parents with Charley's care.

**Perhaps he made a visit to Mansfield, Ohio to meet his half-sister, Harriett Hall Crouse, as I have her photo album of the George A. Hall family, which contains only one picture of Charley, after he was balding, labeled "Chas E. Hall, half bro and family"

Charles Ernest Hall and Nida K. Waterfield had the following children:

13 i. Emily Irene⁴ Hall⁽¹⁰⁸⁰⁾ was born in Hutchinson, Reno Co., KS 12 Sep 1893.⁽¹⁰⁸¹⁾ Emily died 1978 at age 84. She married Roger Conant ABT 1917 in Hutchinson, Reno Co., KS. Roger was born about 1890.⁽¹⁰⁸²⁾ Roger died about 1960 at age unknown. (See Roger Conant for the continuation of this line.)

+ 14 ii. Richard Bruce Hall, Sr. was born 19 Jan 1895.

+ 15 iii. Charles Ernest Hall, Jr. was born 23 Apr 1900.

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