Sarah Elizabeth Virginia Kale

A Life of Learning, Hard Work, Family, Faith, and Love

She was the oldest of fourteen children, and from an early age she learned what it meant to work hard and care for the people she loved. She left school after the eighth grade so that she could help earn money to support her parents and younger brothers and sisters. But her education did not end there. In her sixties, she returned to school and proudly completed the program to earn her GED-a testament to her determination and her lifelong love of learning.

Mom was curious about just about everything. Whenever something new came along, she wanted to learn how it worked, and she was often the first one to sign up for a class. When computerized sewing machines first appeared, she learned to use one. When home computers became part of everyday life, she taught herself how to use one and was sending emails and sharing pictures before some of the rest of us had figured it out. She never believed that age was a reason to stop learning something new.

Much of her working life was spent in textiles. She worked in a cotton mill and in a sewing manufacturing plant, but sewing was also one of her great talents. She was a skilled seamstress who made clothes for her family and sewed for people in the community. Later in life, she worked in the school system as a cafeteria worker. And even at 97 years old, Mom hadn't lost her work ethic-or her eye for an opportunity. Nearly anything she encountered could somehow become a potential job opportunity in her mind. She was always ready to investigate, ask a question, or figure out how she might turn something into a little work. It was one of the things that kept us smiling and reminded us that Mom was, in her own way, always ready for her next adventure.

Mom had a straightforward way of speaking and was never one to mince words. She could be quick with a humorous response and had a way of making people laugh, often when they least expected it. Her honesty, determination, independence, and sense of humor were unmistakably hers.

She was active in the Church of Christ in Clover, South Carolina. Her church was a very important part of her life, and she was deeply dedicated to serving the Lord. Her faith and church family brought her great comfort, purpose, and joy. She loved flowers and gardening and found joy in watching things grow. But above all, she loved her family.

She is survived by her loving husband, Charlie Kale; her children, Patsy Maiers (Rick), Teresa Glenn (Mike), Charlene Wicker (Turner), Becky Johnson (Dave), and Bud Welch (Lynne); six granddaughters, Stacy Mason, Stephanie Ransom, Tana Glenn, Adrian Wicker, Kari Wicker, and Elizabeth Chaney; three great-grandsons, Theo Chaney, Will Chaney, and Wes Chaney; and three siblings, Terry Hall, Mary Dowey, and Carolyn Lawson. She also leaves behind two special nieces, Lisa Baker and Donna Young, along with many other beloved nieces and nephews.

Mom lived 97 years filled with hard work, learning, laughter, faith, family, and a determination to keep going. She taught us that it is never too late to learn something new, never too late to try something different, and never too late to find another reason to get up and keep moving.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Patsy Hall; her father, Bomer C. Hall; and several siblings: Nettie Young, Myrtle Webster, Linda Knight, Brenda Webb, Margaret Hall, Peggy Latham, Joseph Hall, Charles Hall, Marshall Hall, and Dean Hall.

A Gathering of Friends and Family will be held Thursday, October 8, 2026, from 6:00 - 8:00 PM, at the South Chapel of Greene Funeral Service, 1503 S. York Rd. Gastonia, NC. Condolences may be shared online at: www.greenefuneral.com.

She will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever a part of the family she loved.