Patrick Pioneers – Miss Pearl Lillian Hall

For the next several weeks, we will spend time in the Goblintown area. There are several theories of how Goblintown got its name, but the prevailing one seems to be that there was some type of haunted event that took place in the area. I recently came across another theory from Anthony Tittle, one of the first land grant recipients in the area; the land was named Goblintown from the enormous number of turkeys roaming the community! 

This week, we will focus on Goblintown native, Miss Pearl Lillian Hall. Miss Pearl was born on the 19th of April 1896 to 72-year-old Henry Harden (H. H.) Hall, Sr. and 45-year-old Martha Elizabeth Ross Hall; she was the only surviving child of the couple. According to the Patrick County Death Register, little Grover Hall was stillborn on the 21st of October 1888 and another male infant was stillborn on the 15th of May 1890. Little Kittie Ross Hall was born to H. H. and Martha Ross Hall in February 1892 and lived for one year, five months, and five days, passing away on July 12th, 1893.

In 1909, Miss Pearl’s mother, Martha Elizabeth Ross, passed away at the age of 58 years old, leaving 13-year-old Pearl and her 86-year-old father, H. H. Hall, Sr. alone. I was unable to find out for certain which primary school Miss Pearl attended, but based on where she grew up, it was likely the Brammer School or the old log Goblintown School. Miss Pearl attended Ferrum Training School (Ferrum College) shortly after it was founded in 1913 by the Methodist Church. H. H. Hall, Sr. passed away on the 21st of March 1915 at the age of 91; Pearl was now an orphan. 

Miss Pearl did not let the death of her parents break her down; she honored her deceased parents and siblings by traveling all the way from Patrick County to Kansas City, Missouri to attend the Scarritt Bible and Training College. In the 1920 census, Miss Pearl was listed as a 23-year-old student who was receiving training in religious knowledge and practical training in nursing and medicine. 

Miss Pearl graduated as a registered nurse from John Hopkins University in 1924 and was immediately sent to Monterrey, Mexico by the Women’s Division of the Board of Missions of the United Methodist Church. In Monterrey, Miss Pearl served for nearly three years in the oldest and best-organized Methodist-related hospital in Mexico and taught in the training school there. In 1927, she was transferred to Palmere Sanitorium in Chihuahua, Mexico, the newest, smallest, and poorest of the hospitals under the Methodist Church in Mexico. 

Miss Pearl worked at the Palmere sanitorium for thirty-five years and helped establish a laboratory and school for nurse technicians and nurse anesthetists. As I am writing about this grand lady, an image of Mother Teresa comes to mind; Miss Pearl was a dedicated, selfless humanitarian. 

In 1962, at the age of sixty-six, Miss Pearl retired from the mission field in Mexico, but she did not stop serving others. She returned to her childhood homeplace in the Goblintown community and worked as the night supervisor at Blue Ridge Nursing Home for several years. 

Miss Pearl was an active volunteer for the Cancer Society, Heart Fund, and Red Cross bloodmobile. In 1977, on her 80th birthday, she was the honored guest of the Patrick-Henry Allied Families of Virginia, Inc. Miss Pearl was a member of Ross-Harbour United Methodist Church and taught Sunday School there for many years. 

Miss Pearl enjoyed traveling and spent time in Germany, the Holy Land, and returned to Mexico where I am sure she was greeted as a hero!  Next week, we will take a deeper look at Miss Pearl’s father, the carpenter and miller Henry Harden (H.H.) Hall, Sr. and his first Exony Turner, and their six children. 

Thank you to Verna Rorrer Shepherd for her help with the story about Miss Pearl. Woody may be reached at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or (276) 692-9626.