Geneva Hall

  Alice Geneva (Turley-Mendenhall) Hall, 97, of Springfield, Massachusetts, donned her wings on Monday, August 25, 2026, at home. 

  Born in Prosperity, South Carolina, she was the eldest daughter of the late John Mendenhall Sr. and the late Elizabeth (Turley) Mendenhall.   Born in 1928, at the outset of the Great Depression, she learned early that hard work was synonymous with survival.  When she was about five years old, her mother relocated the family to Greenville, SC.  Geneva attended the local schools in Greenville, leaving shortly before graduation to marry.  As she began to experience recurrent health issues, her mother-in-law thought a change of pace and place might be beneficial.

 In 1948 Geneva arrived in Springfield, MA, and made the city her home.  Following in the steps of her mother-in-law, she made Mt. Calvary Baptist Church her church home and became a dedicated member.  Geneva served faithfully as a choir member, an usher, a Trustee, a culinary angel, and as an active participant in "Love in Action.  Having been born into the Turley sisterhood, she was no stranger to hard work and learned very early in life how to cook and bake, learning those lessons well.  Like many black women coming north during the "Great Migration", she found work as a domestic.  As her health improved, opportunities were presented to her.  

  She worked for many years as a seamstress at the former William C. Carter Company and the former Gemini Company.  When those companies were bankrupted, Geneva returned to night school to obtain her GED.  She then enrolled in and attended Springfield Technical Community College, taking courses in mental healthcare, later working for the Mental Health Association of Springfield as a Mental Health Aide.  After leaving the Mental Health Association of Springfield, she volunteered at the Springfield Urban League as a Foster Grandparent for many years.

 Pre-deceased by her husband, Raymond Hall;  a brother, Latimore C. Mendenhall;  and two sisters, Berneatha Looper and Nora Drummonds, Geneva is survived by a daughter, Cynthia J. Hall of Springfield;  a step-daughter, Meredith P. Hall of North Carolina;  a brother, John R. Mendenhall, Jr. of Springfield;  and many nieces and nephews;  as well as other relatives and friends. 

The calling hour is 10-11 a.m. Tuesday, September 15th at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 17 John Street in Springfield, followed by funeral services at 11, with burial in the Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, Massachusetts at 2p.m.

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