Herbert Budd Hall's Obituary
Herbert Budd Hall was born 20 March 1921 in his family home on the open prairie outside of Terry, Montana, to Herbert Henry Hall and Ruby M. (Thompson) Hall.
When Budd was three years old his father passed away and was buried in Terry, Montana. His mother later married Mr. George Virgil Felt of Circle, Montana and formerly of Amber Township, Scottville, Michigan. In 1927 the family returned to Amber Township, Mason County arriving 19 March 1927 the day before Budd’s sixth birthday. Mr. & Mrs. Felt and Budd returned to the Felt family farm which had been established by George Virgil Felt’s father. This farm is today a Michigan Centennial Farm.
Budd graduated from Scottville High School in 1939. After staying home for a year to work, splitting long working days between the family business, Amber Dairy, and farming, he began attending Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo in the fall of 1940. While attending Western Michigan University he also worked for Lockshore Dairy in Kalamazoo one of the largest dairy firms in Western Michigan at that time. After two years of college he applied to be accepted as an Army Air Force pilot. He was unable to complete the program when it was found that he was color blind.
He was married to Anne E. (Hamilton) Hall on 11 September 1942, who preceded him in death in 1996. Immediately after his wedding, Budd enlisted in the Army on 15 September 1942, joining the “International Harvester Battalion”, which was made up of former employees of International Harvester, and was a Heavy Equipment Maintenance Battalion.
After one year in the International Harvester Battalion, Budd applied and was accepted into the Army Air Corp, where he trained to become a tail gunner on a B-24 “Liberator” as a part of the 34 th Bomb Group, 7 th Squadron, 8 th Air Force, which was relocated and stationed in Mendelsham, England from which Budd went up for 32 bombing raids over Nazi occupied Europe. After the change over from B-24’s to B-17’s, Budd and the crew of the “Near Sighted Robin”, as their plane was nicknamed, were rotated back to the States where Budd was discharged 30 September 1945.
For his efforts in serving his Country, Budd was awarded the: Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters; Army Good Conduct Medal; American Campaign Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters; World War II Victory Medal. Also, on 10 November 2001, he was presented, on behalf of the Government of France, the “Normandy Medal of the Jubilee of Liberty” for his participation in D-Day, Operation Overlord and the Normandy Invasion during a ceremony held at the Ludington VFW Hall, United States Congressman Peter Hoekstra presenting.
After the war, Budd returned to work as Part’s Manager for W.E. Reader and Co., the International Harvester Dealership in Scottville. In the late 1950’s he went to work for Dow Chemical Company, Ludington Plant where he worked for 12 years. Approximately three years after leaving Dow Ludington, he returned to take the position of Manager of the Dow Ludington Employees Credit Union in 1974. He stayed as manager of the Dow Ludington Credit Union until his retirement from that position in 1986.
During his tenure as manager of the Dow Ludington Employees Credit Union, Budd was named a Director of the Paul Bunyan Chapter of the Michigan Credit Union League (MCUL) in 1980, a position he held until 1990. He was also a member of the MCUL State Board from 1980-1990, culminating in his being Chairman of the Board of the MCUL from 1987 – 1989. He was also a Delegate to the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Board (Federal Level) from 1986- 1993. Also, during his time as manager, the Credit Union built its first building, located by the main entrance to the Dow Ludington plant.
Budd was first elected to the Mason County Central (MCC) Board of Education (formerly Scottville High School) in 1956, where he served for 12 years as Vice Chairman under his good friend Dr. Herbert Bacon, MD. After 12 years of service he left the MCC Board of Education in 1968. During his tenure he was able to hand out high school diploma’s to both his daughter, Cynthia and son, Herb.
In 1996 Budd was appointed to the Mason County Tax Allocation Board, serving as the Chairperson thereof from 2000 until 2011.
Budd was appointed a Member of the Mason County Building Authority in 1988 and served as Chairperson thereof from 1996 until 2011. During his tenure as Chairperson of the County Building Authority the following major projects were completed: The Family Independent Agency Building on Diana Street; the Ice Rink at West Shore Community College; the Airport Terminal Building; the Health Department Building on Diana Street; the Animal Control Building; the addition and the separate renovation of the Mason County Jail, and the addition to Oak View Care Facility.
Budd was also appointed and served as a member of the Mason County Economic Development Board from 1990 – 2000.
Perhaps one of the most loved and well known positions of public service in Budd’s long and distinguished public service career, was his tenure as Amber Township Supervisor. He was appointed directly to the position of Amber Township Supervisor and joined the Board in 1990, replacing the then existing Supervisor who had sold his home and moved away from Mason County. Subsequently, he was elected twice by the voters of Amber Township, retiring in 2000. During his time as Supervisor he oversaw the building of the new Amber Township Hall in 1993. He was also heavily involved in the setting up of the TIFA District (Tax Increment Finance Authority District) which oversaw the implementation of water and sewer lines along US 10&31, which was being expanded into a five lane highway. This public infrastructure has been the basis for all the commercial development along that corridor, with the resulting jobs and retail and service opportunities for all residents of Mason County.
Budd also was a member of the Scottville Library Board from 1989 – 1994, where he served as Chairman and also as Secretary. In 1994 the Scottville Library and the Ludington Library merged and together formed the Mason County District Library. Budd was on the original study committee that drafted the merger agreement to create the new District Library. Budd continued to serve as a member of the newly formed District Library Board, serving from 1994-1998, during which he served the new Board as its first Secretary.
Budd was a Life Time Member of Scottville Masonic Lodge # 445, which he joined in 1950. He served as Worshipful Master of that Lodge in 1958. Budd was a Thirty Second Degree Mason. Budd was deeply involved in the planning and construction of the Scottville Lodge building which was dedicated in 1959, at the end of his year as Worshipful Master. This echoes the fact that his natural father, Herbert Henry Hall founded the first Masonic Lodge in Terry, Montana, and helped construct the first Masonic Lodge building there.
Budd was also a Lifetime member of the Ludington Elks Lodge, first joining in 1968.
Besides his service to Country, County, Township and his fraternal brothers and sisters, Budd was also a lifetime Member of the Scottville United Methodist Church. He joined the Scottville United Methodist Church during his sophomore year in High School in 1937. During his 78 years of membership therein, Budd served on committee’s and boards to numerous to mention but he was especially proud of his time as a long standing member of the Finance Committee, his role as Sunday School Superintendent, his being Chairman of the Foundation Committee, and his being Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Budd remarried on 04 October 1997 to Doris Erickson formerly of Manistee, who survives him.
Budd was preceded in death by his natural father Herbert Henry Hall of Terry, Montana, his mother Ruby M. (Thompson) (Hall) Felt of Amber Township, Scottville, Michigan; his step father George Virgil Felt of Amber Township, Scottville, Michigan; his son-in-law Michael Turner of Fairburn, Georgia; and two of his foster brothers and sisters; Carl Waldheer of Sparta, Michigan and Ruthie (McClellan) Shilander (Richard) of Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Budd is survived by his second wife, Doris (Erickson) Hall of Scottville, Michigan; his eldest daughter Cynthia L. (Thomas) Hooper also of Scottville; his son Herbert Devon Hall of Ludington; and his youngest daughter Carol Anne Turner of Fairburn, Georgia and his Granddaughter Anne Beatryce Turner also of Fairburn, Georgia.; his three stepdaughters: Jane (Bruce) Finnerty of Cadillac, Michigan, Ann (Tom) Gault of Troy, Michigan, Sandra Erickson of Marysville, Michigan, and Step-Grand Daughters Rachel Golasewski of Marysville, Michigan, and Eleanor (Ellie) Gault of Troy, Michigan. He is also survived by two of his foster brothers and sisters; John (Barbara) Blaford of Tipton, Iowa, and Laura (Beebe) Walker (William) of Ludington.
Funeral services will be held for Budd at 11:00 am on Saturday, March 28 at the Scottville United Methodist Church with Rev. Jack Conklin officiating. Friends may meet with his family for a time of visitation on Friday evening from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Stephens Funeral Home in Scottville. Masonic rites will be recited for Budd at 7:30 pm. Those who wish to make memorial contributions are asked to consider the Scottville United Methodist Church, or the Scottville Senior Center.
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