Hal E. Whitlock

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Hal E. Whitlock, 96, of Raleigh Township, passed away in Harrisburg Medical Center at 3 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009, following a long illness at home.

Hal was born May 20, 1912, to the late George Elbert and Mollie Elizabeth (Bishop) Whitlock.

On Sept. 26, 1935, he married his beloved Lucy, the former Lucille Payne. They were married 68 years when she preceded him in death on Nov. 25, 2003.

Hal worked for Wasson Lumber Yard in Eldorado for many, many years. He retired from there in the 1970s and began farming. He was also road commissioner of Raleigh Township from 1981 to 2005, when he retired at the age of 93.

He is survived by one daughter, Joyce Ann (Ralph) Kolmer; one son, Hal D. (Mary Lou) Whitlock; four grandchildren, Jackie Ann (Keith) Ital, DeWayne (LaDonna) Whitlock, Dwight (Sunday) Whitlock and Denise (Doug) Phelps; 11 great-grandchildren, Keith (Kim) Ital Jr., Jesse (Katie) Ital, DeAnn (Tom) Hughes, Jake, Dane, Evan, Ame and Sydney Whitlock and Dylan, Delaney and Dalton Phelps; three great-great-grandchildren, Aaron, Douglas and Rachelle DeNoon; and a sister, Mary Elizabeth Young.

In addition to his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by an infant brother, Clifford Whitlock; and a sister, Alice Evelyn Whitlock.

Visitation will be at Watson Funeral Home in Eldorado from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009, with visitation 9 a.m. until the funeral at the Raleigh Baptist Church with the Rev. David Pinkerton officiating.

Hal was a very active member of Raleigh Baptist Church. He had requested his funeral be conducted there, as in 1929 as a 17-year-old boy he helped dig the basement of this church with a team of horses and scraper, so it was very special to him. Burial will be at Raleigh Masonic Cemetery.