Joseph Allen Hale was born in Cundiff, Texas in 1891. He married Jennie Mae Baker in 1910. They lived on a farm near Truce until 1914 when they moved to Wichita Falls, with the two oldest children, to work for the railroad. 

About 1917-18 the family (three children) moved to Chandler, Oklahoma to operate a shoe shop with Oscar, Joe's brother. The partnership broke up and the family moved to Agra, Oklahoma in 1918 where Joe operated a shoe shop and the family operated a cream separator. In 1919 the family moved to Ripley, Oklahoma where they again operated a shoe shop and creamery. Later Joe worked at a refinery in Ripley. In 1927 The family (six children) moved to Seminole, Oklahoma where Joe started work for Sinclair Oil. 

In 1930 the family moved to the East Texas oilfield (seven children) where Joe continued to work for Sinclair. In the oilfield Joe was known as "Stormy" and his oldest son, Otis, was known as "Lightening". The family lived between Troup and Wright City near the Salem School in a community called "Screech Owl Bend". Joe worked for Sinclair Oil for approx. 18 years. 

After the death of Jennie in 1943, Joe quit Sinclair and opened a shoe repair shop in Overton, Texas. After the youngest child left home about 1950, Joe moved around a bit, operating shops in Arp, again in Overton, in Ranger, Texas, and even in California. The last shop was the "OK Hale" shoe shop in an old service station building in Overton. The building carried the "OK Hale" sign until it collapsed and was demolished in 1983.

The older boys seemed to consider their father to be a tyrant and seemed to dislike him intensely, even into their adult years and until his death. The other children seem to consider him to have been a stern, honest, hard working father who was somewhat of a busy-body and gossip, with a sense of humor and personal responsibility.

Joe remarried twice later in his life. The first ended in divorce. He was married to Daisy at the time of his death.

Leonard A Hale -- 1991