WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
WALTER BROWN HAIL & SHIRLEY BENTLEY HAIL
(WW2 veteran, motel owners)
BIOGRAPHY
Walter Brown Hail was born May 6, 1916 in Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada.He went by the name of Brown.
Brown married Shirley Bentley on May 4 or 11, 1938 and they had one adopted son, John Webster Hail.
Brown was inducted into the Las Vegas Gunnary School on November 12, 1942 and served as a pilot in the
Air Transport Command. He flew General Douglas McArthur wherever the general needed to fly.
Brown was a very reliable and honest person.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Brown and his friend, Dick Hammer, formed a partnership and succeeded in
attracting moviemakers to come to Washington County. Hail, Hammer, and others provided lodging and food
and enlisted extras, horses, and cattle herds to appear in films.
Brown died on March 13, 1990 and is buried in Plot C_3_6_2 of the St. George City Cemetery.
Shirley died on December 23, 2005 and was buried in the St. George City Cemetery on December 30, 2005.
FAMILY
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Brown's Parents and Siblings:
George Walter Hail Leda Snow Hail Walter Brown Hail |
(7/9/1889-xx/xx/1938) (married xx/xx/1915) (3/6/1892-3/1/1960) (5/6/1916-3/13/1990) (married Shirley Bentley) |
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Shirley's Parents and Siblings: John Bentley Anna Sturznegger Bentley Shirley Bentley Carolyn Bentley Phyllis Bentley |
(xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married xx/xx/xxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (6/30/1915-12/23/2005) (married Walter Brown Hail) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Hannig) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. LeBaron) |
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Brown & Shirley's Family: Walter Brown Hail Shirley Bentley Hail John Webster Hail |
(5/6/1916-3/13/1990) (married 5/4 or 11/1938) (6/30/1915-12/23/2005) (1/16/1950-10/3/2013) |
PHOTOS
WCHS photos:WCHS-03147 Photo of Shirley Hail at the Hail's Motel in St. George
WCHS-03148 Photo of Shirley Hail and son, John, in front of the Hail's Motel in St. George
WCHS-04020 Photo of aviation artifacts from Walter Brown Hail
WCHS-04021 Photo of Walter Brown Hails's leather flight bag
WCHS-04022 Photo of items from Walter Brown Hail's military uniform
WCHS-04023 Photo of a closer view of some of the items in photo WCHS-04020
WCHS-04024 Photo of a leather pouch and certificate from Walter Brown Hail
WCHS-04025 Photo of Walter Brown Hail's pilot log book
WCHS-04026 Photo of some of Walter Brown Hail's aeronautical charts
WCHS-04027 Photo of Walter Brown Hail's compass and anemometer
WCHS-04028 Photo of a closer view of some of the items in photo WCHS-04020
WCHS-04029 Photo of a 1942 navigational computer (circular slide rule)
WCHS-04030 Photo of a pilot's September 1959 Chevron Flight Guide
WCHS-04031 Photo of Walter Brown Hail's military flight cap
WCHS-04032 Photo of Walter Brown Hail's military flight cap
REFERENCES
Brown & Shirley Hail on the 1940 censusFind-A-Grave entry for Brown W. Hall [sic]
Obituary for Shirley Bentley Hail
Metcalf Mortuary Obituary for John W. Hall
Spectrum Obituary for John W. Hall
Find-A-Grave entry for John W. Hall
Gravestone for Walter Brown & Shirley Bentley Hail
Find-A-Grave entry for Leda Snow Hall